Temporary Bliss
by EverydayWeaboo
Summary: When Annie reveals herself to be the Female Titan and Armin does the inevitable task of betraying her, the two reminisce on their past relationship during those tragic, last moments, and realize that what they had was merely temporary bliss.
1. chapter 1

AN: Hello guys! This is my first ever fanfiction, and an Aruani one, no less. Seriously, this ship will be the death of me. Anyway, this story will be set on the Aot timeline, just as it is in the manga and anime, although I will change some of the situations and tweak the circumstances a bit for the story's purposes. So if anything seems different from what we all read or watched, it ia because it is intentional. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Isayama owns all the greatness.

Chapter One

 ** _Get a grip._**

 **Armin clutched the smoke gun tightly in his hand, his finger poised over the trigger, ready to shoot a signal in case something went amiss. He knew several members of the Scouting Legion were hidden behind the nearest alleys, while some crouched on the roofs, ready to strike at a moment's notice. He also knew that like him, they were waiting for Annie to make any dangerous moves--it was their cue to move, after all.**

 **Annie. She stood several steps above him, unmoving. She refused to join him, Eren, and Mikasa down the underground tunnel, despite him and Eren's efforts to persuade her. She would not budge. By now Armin's hands were beginning to shake, and sweat gathered near his hairline, making him feel sticky and nervous.**

 **Finally, Annie spoke.**

 **"Tell me, since when did you look at me with such eyes..." she said quietly, turning to him. "...Armin?"**

Armin dragged his feet through the familiar dusty expanse of the training grounds, his arm up, covering his eyes from the harsh sunlight. Their drill sergeant, Shadis, instructed them to line up before him, and he found himself shoulder to shoulder with Sasha and Jean. Shadis walked to the front, surveying them, and Armin noticed some wooden knives placed on a table next to him. _Oh great,_ he thought, _hand to hand combat._ He would definitely make a fool out of himself in training today.

"Cadets, today we practice hand to hand combat. You will be working in pairs --" as he said this, a chorus of excited buzzing came from the cadets, "--but I have ready chosen your partners, and the two of you will become training buddies until the end of your cadet days, with the exception of the occasional switch, which would only happen every two months."

The 104th groaned when they heard that Shadis had already picked the pairs, and Armin can't help but join them. He hoped he'd be paired with Eren, or even Mikasa, because they knew of his lame combat skills and wouldn't laugh at him. Still, even if Armin was mortified of the fact that he would probably just end up being ridiculed, some part of him was excited of the prospect of learning with someone new. He guessed it was a blessing that he was friends with almost all of the other cadets, and it made him sigh with relief, because there was almost an eighty percent chance that he was going to be paired up with someone he was familiar with. Who could it be? Sasha? Maybe Marco?

His attention went back to Shadis, who was reading off the pairs from a piece of paper he held. Connie was with Jean; Mina and Sasha; Reiner was coupled with Mikasa -- _now that's some pair_ , he thought, _and finally..._

"Arlert, you're with Leonhardt," yelled Shadis.

"Pardon, sir?" he asked suddenly. He was quite sure he had read the name wrong. "Did you just say Leonhardt?"

Some cadets laughed.

"I did, Arlert. Is there a problem?"

"No, sir, it's just that --"

"That what?"

Armin jumped. Next to him was none other Annie, her icy blue eyes looking bored as usual. She was the one who had asked the last question. Armin felt nervous. What was he going to say? He averted his gaze and saw Eren, who gave him an encouraging nod.

"Um --"

She turned on her heels. "Let's go."

He followed her, and he spent the entirety of that afternoon being beaten up by Annie that by dinner time he was so sore he couldn't even lift his spoon. Not that it mattered. He never ate anyway -- he was too busy staring at Annie from across the room. She was smaller than him, and yet she managed to kick his butt. Of course, factoring in his lack of physical strength, it was no surprise that she would win. Still, he knew that she could even defeat Reiner. He was, to put it simply, amazed.

"Armin, what are you looking at?" asked Mikasa. She followed his gaze and saw Annie. She immediately glared at her direction. "She got you pretty bad. She shouldn't have beaten you up like that, it was just practice anyway."

He turned to his friend, smiling. "It's nothing, Mikasa. It's my fault, really. I should have put up a better fight."

Mikasa was unconvinced. She urged him to eat, even helping him chew off his bread, much to his embarrassment. Now he knew what Eren felt like whenever Mikasa was being overly protective.

He was the last to leave the cafeteria. He had insisted that Eren and Mikasa go on ahead of him, because he knew he would only slow them down by his wobbling and they needed to rest. As he was walking towards the boys' cabin, he saw Annie leaning by the door, her arma crossed.

He rushed to her. "Good evening, Annie. What are you doing here?"

"Just had something to tell Reiner," she replied. She turned to go, but looked back at him at the last second. "Say, Arlert, since when did you look at me with such eyes?"

So she had caught him staring after all.

Armin went beet red. He tried to give an intelligent response, but ended up stammering. Annie shook her head, muttering, "Pathetic," and went her way, leaving him there.

 **Armin did not know why he was thinking about all that as they confronted Annie. Maybe it was because he had an immense sensation of deja vu with what she said, or maybe his head was just so messed up he couldn't think straight anymore. Either way, he knew they failed the moment Annie laughed.**

 **"Armin," said Annie. "I'm glad I could be a good person to you."**

 **And everything went downhill.**


	2. Chapter Two

AN: I'm back! Here is chapter two, everyone. Anyway, if you checked out my profile, you'd see that I said I get inspiration from the songs I listen to, and this fanfic's title is no exception. So if you have read chapter one, please listen to The Cab's "Temporary Bliss" to get a vibe of the story. Anyway, today's chapter is inspired from the song "The Both of Us" by B.O.B feat. Taylor Swift. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Isayama made all the awesomeness happen.

Chapter Two

 **"It's too late!" Mikasa yelled, as she grabbed Armin and Eren by the front of their shirts, dragging them down to the tunnel** **with her.**

 **She had seen the silver ring on Annie's finger and with quick thinking pulled the other two with her into safety. Annie nicked her thumb through the sharp steel, feeling a sudden prick of pain before transforming. Her body began to grow; her arms became longer, her limbs felt heavier, and her height shot up to fourteen meters tall.** **The people who had restrained her were all thrown back by the sudden transformation, their shrieks echoing around the empty streets of Stohess.**

 **Annie looked down at the entrance of the tunnel, which had caved in, and some foolish part of her wished that somehow he had gotten out alright. She had seen Mikasa grab him and Eren, but there was no telling whether they hadn't been crushed or not. She hoped** **for the last one.**

 ** _Why should you worry?_ a voice in her mind whispered. _What if he was dead? He betrayed you. He deserved it._**

 ** _I am not worried about him,_ she fought back, _Eren. Yes...he's the one I'm worried about. He is essential to my mission. He can't die._**

 **Annie shook her giant head, clearing her thoughts. What was it Mikasa had said? _It's too late,_ that was it. Annie marveled at how accurate her statement was to their current situation. It was too late for everything: for explanations, for forgiveness, for redemption, for her and Armin...**

"You're late, Arlert!" shouted Shadis, as the blond-haired boy rushed to the training grounds, panting and sweating. He bent down, trying to catch his breath, as Shadis added, "No dinner for you tonight, cadet."

Armin opened his mouth to protest, but apparently thought better of it, as he shut his lips instead. He simply nodded, making his way to where Annie was leaning against a tree. Her gaze lifted up to see Armin standing before her, a smile etched across his face. For someone who would be going to bed with no food tonight, he seemed happy.

"Hi, Annie," he greeted. "I'm sorry for being late."

She shrugged, unaffected.

He had the nerve to laugh. "I really am sorry. I wasted time. I know how much you love to train."

"Just get the knife," she replied,

annoyed, but why, she had no idea. _It's that stupid smile of his_ , she decided. _I'll definitely wipe that off his face._

As Armin faced her, knife in hand, Annie can't help but notice a few scratches running up and down his arms. They were faint, almost too faint to get noticed, but Annie had always been observant. She vaguely wondered whether the scratches had anything to do with him being late,

but she stopped herself before she could dwell on the matter any further. He can show up with a bloody leg for all she cared.

Her annoyance only mounted when Armin kept on smiling at her every time she shoved his face on the dirty ground.

"That move was great," he said, after she had kicked him swiftly on the knees for like the hundredth time that day. "You really are good."

She ignored him. What does he know about combat, anyway? He was better off inside the classroom where they held their weekly Titan studies, not in the training grounds. They were training with each other for almost two weeks now, and he was showing no signs of improvement.

Annie lunged at him, scowling. He didn't expect her to come attacking him so quickly, so he wasn't able to prepare. As Annie ran to him at full speed, all he could do was raise his arms up for defense. Annie, surprised at his pathetic attempt at fighting, lost her balance and crashed right into him. They both fell to the ground, with her on top of him.

The others had witnessed the whole scene, and they all bursted out laughing.

"Ugh -- Annie, are you alright?" asked Armin.

Annie scrambled off him, glaring at the other cadets. They all quickly went back to practicing, but she cannot help but notice the smirk on Connie's lips. She then turned her eyes on Armin, who was slowly picking himself up.

"What the hell, Arlert?" she said.

"I'm sorry --"

"Can't you even pretend to at least be trying?"

"I'm really sorry, Annie --"

"And stop apologizing!" she hadn't realized that she had shouted. This time, the others really did look at them.

"Well, what's this? Lover's quarrel?" teased Ymir, earning a jab from Christa. "Ow! What was that for?"

Mikasa stepped forward. "Is there anything wrong, Annie?" she asked. Although her voice was in its usual calm state, Annie can't help but notice the threat. Of course she would think that she was hurting Armin with no reason again.

Well, technically, she was. But Annie was still annoyed. If she hated anything in this world, it was weakness, and Armin was just about in her eyes the very epitome of it. Just her luck to be paired up with someone like him.

Tense whispers surrounded them. The tension was thick. Annie and Mikasa continued to size each other up, despite Eren's constant tugging at the latter's arm.

Annie also felt someone tug on her sleeve. She whirled around and came face-to-face with Armin.

"It's your turn, Annie," he said, as if nothing else was going on around them. He gave her the wooden knife. He smiled at her. Again. "Come on."

Annie looked at the knife in her hand, confused with what he was doing.

Armin turned to Mikasa. "Is there a problem?"

Mikasa shook her head. "Nothing. Go back to training, Armin."

The cadets scattered, returning to their practice. Annie turned to Armin, who stood across from her, his face bruised and bloody. She watched as he readied his stance.

"Annie? It's your turn to attack now." he called out.

She continued to gaze at the knife with confusion. But before she could fully process what had happened, the bell sounded, signaling the end of the day.

Annie didn't see Armin at dinner. He was, after all, not allowed to eat. She thought of what had happened that day on training, at how he had easily defused the situation. Going back to her cabin that night, she saw Eren give a piece of bread to Armin, who smiled and tore it in half. What Eren didn't notice, though -- and she did -- was how Armin hid the other half on his vest's pocket, keeping it.

The next day in combat, Armin came a few minutes late again. It was the same the next day. Thankfully, Shadis had now ignored him, to busy berating the other cadets to notice. Armin would always smile at her sheepishly and apologize, and she would ignore him and instead wonder where the hell he was getting all those scratches.

That night, Annie decided she was going to see what Armin was up to. Her decision was further fueled by the fact that she saw him saving a portion of his dinner again. Stealthily, she followed him out. She saw him wave Eren and the others off, saying he forgot something, but the moment his friends had gone he immediately ran off toward the stables.

Annie trailed after him. _What am I doing?_ she thought, _I need to see what it is he's up to. Espcially since it's affecting our training. Besides, he's being suspicious._

Annie felt like her feelings were perfectly justified. She found him behind the stables, crouched down on his knees. He was talking to someone. Annie moved closer, hiding near a horse stall where he can't see her.

"Ssh," said Armin. He rummaged around in his pockets. "Here, I brought you some food."

Annie moved closer. He was meeting with someone, but who? As she neared him, she heard him chuckle.

"Easy now," he said, and she was sure he was smiling widely. "You're so cute."

Annie almost gagged. _What the hell?_ She could see him clearly now. She craned her neck, expecting to see a girl, but instead all she saw was a yellow ball of fur.

A cat. Armin was talking to a freaking cat.

She watched as he picked the animal up, drawing it close to his face. He laughed again, as if nothing else could please him more. Suddenly, he yelped, letting go of his pet, who landed gracefully on the ground.

"You attacked me again!" he protested. So that was where he was getting all those scratches from. Annie left them, feeling foolish for even thinking that Armin would be doing something suspicious. Of course he was taking care of a cat. That is so like him.

But as the days went by, Annie can't help but worry. Soldiers, especially cadets, were not allowed to take in pets, since the military can't afford to lose more precious food, not to mention the diseases one can get from them. Every man was important, so the military tried everything to avoid sickness -- and that included staying away from animals other than horses.

Annie continued to follow Armin every night. She did not know why. There was something strange about how she was easily drawn into their little reunions. On her fourth night watching them, however, Armin caught her.

"Annie," he said. He did not seem surprised though, which perplexed her. He simply smiled as he lead her to where the cat was. "Want to pet her?"

Annie studied the small creature. Its fur was the color of butter, and its eyes -- its eyes were like small, round sapphires, steady and unblinking. For some reason, it was lying down, and as Annie stroked its paw, it gave a weak purr.

"She's sick," said Armin, his voice laced with worry. "I'm going to bring hwr back to the dorms. She needs a better place to recover."

"Armin," she said, looking at the cat. "You can't do that. They'll punish you if they find out."

"I know," he said nervously. "But I have no choice."

Annie could see a choice though -- just leave the cat there. But looking at him, she knew he was not one to abandon a helpless creature, and she admired him for that. She watched him as he gently combed its golden fur with his fingers, a small smile playing on his lips.

Armin continued hiding the cat. How the other boys did not notice an illegal pet hiding in their cabin, Annie had no idea. Armin gave her daily updates on the cat's health, who they had named Anne, due to Armin's insistence ("She looks just like you!" he said). She even helped him by stealing some milk from the kitchen, much to his horror and gratitude. They sometimes even took care of it together on day offs, when everyone was too busy enjoying their freedom, leaving the boys dorm to them. They did not talk much whenever they were together, but Annie liked it that way, and Armin seemed to understand.

One night, Annie surprised everyone by suddenly sitting across from Armin, who had a table to himself and was reading. Mikasa and Eren sat on the next table (they allowed Armin some time alone to read after meals). Armin merely nodded to her before turning back to his book.

Annie ignores the glances from the other cadets, particularly Eren and Mikasa. She carefully slid a small package to Armin. He picked it up, feeling it. His eyes widened.

"How did you get this?" he asked quietly.

"I stole it, of course," she replied quickly. "That's good fish, by the way. For her."

Armin still looked troubled, but he nodded and kept the package. The cafeteria door opened to reveal Keith Shadis, holding something that looked awfully familiar in his arms. Annie saw Armin's eyes go wide. Everyone looked at the drill sergeant, waiting.

"Good evening, cadets," he said loudly. "Just so you know, we did a surprise inspection of the cabins --"

The whole room gasped.

"Don't worry, we left your drawers and personal belongings alone. We did, however, inspect your rooms thoroughly, and found this." he announces, showing them the thing that was in his hands. It was a cat. Armin's cat.

"Arlert!"

Armin stood up. Annie could see his hands shaking. "Yes, sir?"

"We found this under your bunk bed," sais Shadis. "Lying in a makeshift bed. Seriously, Arlert, what the hell do you think you're doing? Do you know what sort of trouble you are in right now?"

"I, um--"

"She's mine!"

Annie had spoken. She did not even know why she did it. Armin looked at her, gaping. Shadis turned his gaze on her.

"The cat's mine. Armin was only keeping her for me." she said. All around her were stunned faces.

Shadis studied them. "Soldier," he called. A man came up to him. He handed him the cat. "Take this away."

"No!" yelled Armin. "Anne is sick! Please, you're not gonna kill her, are you?"

Everyone knew the answer.

"Anne?" asked Shadis. "Well say goodbye to Anne, Arlert."

The soldier carried Anne away, and all Annie could do was look on helplessly.

"Arlert, Leonhardt -- six hours of running for a whole week. Also, kitchen duties for a whole month." he said, and with that, he left.

Armin looked devastated. Annie felt guilty. _I knew we should have disposed of it,_ she thought, seeing Armin's heartbroken look.

Well, they tried, but it was too late.

 **Annie laughed, but with her Titan form it came out more like a roar. She could not even save a small cat. Annie was a fool for even dreaming about saving the both of them from this cruel world. She watched as the Scouts swung around her, their blades glinting in the harsh sunlight. They were going to share Anne's fate.**


	3. Chapter Three

AN: And I'm back! I have been writing a lot lately (I never knew writing fanfics would be so much fun!) and I hope to be able to continue updating every day. Anyway, I hope you've been listening to the songs I recommend every chapter, since it is basically the inspiration for them, and Chapter Three is just the same! This one is inspired by the song "Let it All Go" by Birdy and Rhodes. You should really listen to it guys. Hahaha.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Isayama is too good to be replaced by a mere Muggle like me.

Chapter Three

 **Eren was stuck. Armin removed the large boulders which was buried half his body with much effort. Grunting, he made his way to where Eren was, and gasped when he saw the piece of sharp wood going through his back and coming out of his chest. There was so much blood -- in the wood, in Eren's shirt, in his chest...**

 **Jean landed next to him, asking what was wrong. He saw Eren's state, and like Armin, knew it was doubtful whether ne would still be able to transform or not.**

 ** _Please, Eren,_ thought Armin, _we need you now more than ever._**

 **Jean shot his hooks and flew away, dodging Annie's hand, which had tried to intercept him. Armin looked at Eren, and then at the carnage around him, feeling hope flicker out of his chest. All those soldiers dead because of him. He should have planned this more thoroughly. He should have known that Annie wasn't going to go down so easily.** **_Stupid, stupid._**

 **He made up his mind. Taking one last look at Eren, he ran out into the open streets.**

 **"Annie!" he yelled. She turned her giant eyes on him. "If you don't kill me now, you won't be able to make your wager again!"**

 **Wager. Bets. Back then, this was just some kind of inside joke between the two of them. Now that he thought about it, their whole relationship started out as one, big wager, and they had bet everything, not knowing the risk that came along with it.**

Armin was angry. Not because he and Annie had to run for six hours straight every day after training, or that they now had to serve food in the cafeteria and wash the dishes -- no, it wasn't that. He was mad at himself for getting him and Annie into trouble just because he can't let go of some stupid cat. Not only did he get them punished, but somehow he can't helo but blame himself for Anne's death. If he hadn't snuggled her into camp, would she have been alive until now? He did not know, and he did not want to think about her anymore. The memory of his lost pet almost made him cry.

He was exhausted, too. He could hardly lift his hand as he poured soup into Reiner's bowl during their fifth night of service. Annie, who was working the bread rations beside him, did not seem tired at all. She casually flung a loaf into Sasha's tray, who asked for another one. Annie said in a very serious tone, "One bread for each person." Sasha pouted, then took her seat beside Connie, who laughed at the look on her face.

"Well, if it isn't our lovely kitchen couple," someone said.

Armin looked up to see Ymir smirking. He sighed as he filled her bowl. He waited for her to move on, but she did not budge. She remained standing in front of him, that manic grin still on her face, which seriously scared Armin. Ymir was known for pranking people in the most inappropriate moments, and he prayed that she wasn't planning on pulling one over him. He also didn't like the way her eyes kept on flicking over to where Annie was; Armin wished that Ymir would leave her out of whatever joke she was going to play on him. He will never forgive himself if he caused Annie any more trouble.

"Ymir," said Annie, giving the freckled girl her infamous death glare. "You're holding the line up."

"Oh, sorry," said Ymir, not sounding sorry at all. She walked on to get her loaf of bread. "So Annie, how are you and your husband holding up with your child's death? What was her name? Anne? How cute, you even named her after you!"

The whole cafeteria went silent. Armin's cheeks were pink. He studied Annie, whose face remained stoic, but her hand that was holding the bread had tighted around it.

Fortunately, Annie did not do anything rash. Exhaling, she dropped the loaf of bread on Ymir's tray, who looked at the piece of crushed pastry with distaste.

"You ruined my food, Leonhardt," she stated, raising an eyebrow.

Annie shrugged.

"The food you give your pesky cat is better than this. Seruously, you and your husband like wasting food, don't you?"

"Oh no," said Christa, pulling Ymir away from the counter. She looked at Annie apologetically. "Annie, don't mind her. I'm really sorry for what happened --"

Annie didn't let her finish. She walked briskly towards Ymir, who instead of backing up, rolled her neck and grinned. Christa started pleading for them to stop, as the others watched on, obviously itching to see a fight.

Armin was panicking. He had to stop this. Who knew what kind of punishment Shadis would give them? Annie had it bad enough as it is. Also, he was secretly worried about Ymir; he knew she wouldn't be able to win against Annie -- especially an enraged Annie -- despite her height advantage. Annie stopped a meter away from Ymir, glaring.

"Take back what you said," she ordered, her voice dangerously low.

"What part? That he was your husband? Or that you lost your precious cat?"

"All of it."

"No, can do," replied Ymir. "There was nothing wrong with what I said."

Annie scowled darkly.

Armin looked at Mikasa, who continued to eat. "Do something!"

She gazed at him calmly. "Why? It's not my place to meddle."

He turned to Eren. "What?" said his best friend, "This is going to be exciting."

Armin sighed, exasperated, as he saw Sasha and Connie going around the room, taking bets. Mina tried to tell Annie something, probably urging her to back down, but she ignored her. Annie was alarmingly close to Ymir now.

"Annie, no! You'll get in trouble!" he reminded her.

"I'm already in trouble, Arlert, thanks to you, so doing this now won't change anything," she said, and she must be really pissed off if she suddenly reverted back to calling him by his last name.

"Guys, please, let's all just make peace --"

"Sush. Just leave this to me, Christa.

You'll definitely want to marry me after this."

Annie pulled back her fist, ready to let fly. Armin can't think of anything else to do, so he jumped right between the two girls. Unfortunately, he picked the moment when Annie had swung her first punch to put himself between them, and her fist collided with his jaw with a awful crunch. Everyone gasped. Eren and Mikasa quickly stood up from their table, rushing to his side. Annie's eyes were wide. Ymir was laughing her head off as a horrified Christa bent over Armin.

Thomas shouted from across the room: "So did Annie win? Do I get my prize?"

Armin felt like his cheek was hit by the Colossal Titan. He felt dizzy, the surroundings shifting and blurring as his vision went haywire. He lay on the floor, holding his broken jaw, and all he could think about was that he was dead, dead, dead...

"What the hell were you thinking?" Eren yelled at him.

"We need to bring him to the infirmary," said Christa. Mikasa nodded.

Eren and Mikasa put their arms around Armin, dragging him away from the cafeteria and into the clinic. But before they could leave, a voice repeated Eren's question from earlier.

"What the hell were you thinking?" asked Annie, and there was a slight quiver underneath her usual emotionless tone.

Armin, who was in pain and wasn't in his best state of mind, only managed to mumble, "Can't let you...trouble...enough as it is..." Annie shook her head, and without saying anything went past them and out the door, with Mikasa glaring daggers at her back.

Armin stayed in the infirmary for a week. His friends often visited him, though he really can't talk much due to his swollen cheek. Eren mainly gave him updates on their training sessions, while Mikasa silently fussed over his ice packs. Some, like Sasha, Connie, Jean and Marco, only went in to see how he was. Even Ymir paid him a visit, obviously because Christa had asked her to.

"Sorry about what happened, Arlert," she had said, "But seriously, that was hilarious. You made my day."

Christa could only smile at him, silently apologizing for her friend's comments.

But it was on his last night at the infirmary that the person he was looking for finally came. Annie entered quietly, probably thinking he was asleep, and took a few tentative steps towards his bed.

"What is it?" he asked, sitting up. His book, the reason for him still being up this late at night, rested on his lap.

She was startled. He was right; she did not expect him to be awake. He watched as she sat on the chair next to his bed, her arms crossed. She did not say anything, so he did the same. Silence fell over them, but it wasn't awkward -- if anything, it felt peaceful.

Time went by like that, with him reading and Annie simply watching him. He noticed her peeking at the leather-bound's cover, probably trying to see the title, and Armin can't help but to smile to himself. He always thought of Annie as being smart, but he did not know whether she loved to read or not. Without not really thinking much about it, he began to read aloud.

If Annie had noticed the sudden change in his reading behavior, she didn't show it. She merely looked outside the window of the infirmary as Armin's steady voice filled the room. He could feel her listening, though -- her head would turn to the side ever so slightly every time she missed a word.

He read to her about all the lands outside the walls, the frozen fields and mounts of sand and the vast, blue ocean...

"I'm sorry."

Armin stopped. He turned to see Annie standing up, adjusting her bun. The moonlight coming through the window cast dark shadows on her face, so Armin couldn't quite see her expression.

"You don't have to apologize, Annie. It was an accident. After all, I'm the one who got you into trouble first. I should be the one saying sorry."

She snorted. "Stop being so nice to me, Armin. Just because we took care of Anne together doesn't mean we're friends. You shouldn't have put yourself between Ymir and I. I wouldn't have done the same for you, and you know it."

Armin did not reply. _Was it true? If she were in his situation, would she have saved him, or would she have let him get into trouble, just like she insisted she would?_ Looking at her now, all Armin could remember was the girl who had helped him in any way she can when he was still secretly hiding an illegal pet. No, she had already done the same for him, even if she wasn't aware of it.

"You're right, Annie, we aren't friends," he said. He closed his book and smiled at her. "But I know we can be, someday. You're a really great person, Annie."

"Just let it go, Armin," she said. Frustrated at his optimism, she added, "What could I do to make you stay away from me?"

He shrugged. The truth was, there wasn't anything she could do.

"How about we make a deal, Annie?" he offered. This caught her attention. "I really am serious about wanting to be your friend, and I'll prove it to you. How about this: if I win against my opponent in the two month random switch, you will have no choice but to eat with us during dinner and to socialize with others."

"And what if you lose?"

"I'll let it go, just like you said you wanted me to."

She stared at him, thinking it over. Finally, she nodded. She probably thinks there was no way he was going to win, and frankly, some part of him agreed. He only had a month left to train after all, and he knew Annie would not help him in practice if it contributed to his success.

"You're on, Arlert," she said, leaving.

 **That was their very first bet. Back then, he did not know that that would only be the start of a very long list of wagers. They loved to make bets over almost everything, since they were both really smart and very fond of challenges. Armin only realized now how much he held on to those wagers.**

 ** _Let it go,_ Annie had said.**

 **All the odds were against him, but he still can't seem to do it, even after all this time.**


	4. Chapter Four

AN: And chapter four is here! So this one's inspired by the song "Flaws" by Bastille. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far (though it is far from being happy) and are somehow checking out the songs I'm suggesting. Maybe I should write down the playlist at the end of this fanfic? Hmm. Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. If I did, everyone would have had superpowers.

Chapter Four

 **Powerful footsteps shook the district of Stohess, reverberating through Annie's chest like a second heartbeat, loud and nerve-wracking. She turned around just in time to meet Eren's massive fist smashing through her jaw, sending her flying backwards into the wall.**

 **They fought and fought and fought. Eren was unstoppable, and it didn't help that he knew pretty much all of her moves. She realized now just how big of a mistake it was to have him as her training partner. If only she hadn't let her pride get the best of her back then, she wouldn't be facing this problem now.**

 **Looking back on it, the reason for her being paired up with Eren during training was pretty stupid. _I should have sticked with Armin,_ she thought ruefully. _I took his bets way too seriously for my own good._**

Armin worked hard for the next three weeks; that was all the time he had left to prepare for their first ever face-off every two months. He practiced his punches as Annie watched on from a nearby tree, wondering how on earth could he possibly think that three weeks was enough to improve his lousy fighting skills.

Annie thought back on the wager they had made, and she can't help but think that Armin was taking it way too seriously. It wasn't that big of a deal -- all he would ever get from it if he won was Annie's cold company. How someone could consider that as a prize, she had no idea. Armin had always been a little off, and she gave up a long time ago trying to figure him out. Why bother anyway? She was sure he was going to lose, and when that happens she would not have anything to do with him anymore.

Armin had stopped practicing to catch his breath. All around them, the other cadets continued to spar with their partners, no doubt trying to learn as much as they could before the much anticipated test. Annie knew not working with Armin was unfair on his part, but a deal's a deal, and she would not help him win a bet where she was his opponent.

The bell chimed just as the sun went down, dismissing them. Annie walked briskly towards the cafeteria, where she and Armin still had a week's worth of kitchen duty. Putting on her apron, she noticed that almost everyone was avoiding her, and some, like Mikasa and Jean, were looking at her with distaste. She wasn't stupid -- she knew this had something to do with the incident a week ago. They now think she really was some dangerous, unfriendly bitch. Well, they were thinking about it all along, but now they felt perfectly justified.

Although she usually did not care about what people thought of her, it annoyed Annie that they would think that she actually enjoyed fighting with Ymir and punching the light out of Armin (accidentally, if she may add).

When Armin stood next to her, soup laddle in hand, she was already in a particularly sour mood.

They distributed the meals in silence. Armin had tried to talk to her after he got discharged from the infirmary and during training, but she ignored him. He insisted that he would keep on talking to her even if she wouldn't reply, since the deal was that he would only stay away if Annie won, and that was yet to be determined. He was nothing if not persistent, Annie discovered with a mixture of awe and irritation.

Once the 104th had finished eating, Eren and Mikasa walked over to the counter where she and Armin were, with the former giving Annie a small nod and the latter acting as if she wasn't there.

"Let's go, Armin," said Eren. "We don't have much time."

Armin nodded, turning to her. "Yes, of course. Annie, is there anything else you need help with?"

"No. You should go."

"You sure?"

She gave him a flat stare.

"She said no," interjected Mikasa. She huffed through her red scarf. Annie wanted to choke her with it. "Let's leave."

"Oh, um -- okay. See you tomorrow, Annie." said Armin, hanging his apron on a hook.

The trio left, and Annie hated the small part of her that was annoyed that they weren't going to be closing the cafeteria together.

The weeks dragged on, and Annie continued to watch Armin's progress in her usual spot under the shade of the tree. He seemed to be doing quite fine, but she doubted that that would be enough. Besides, what are the chances of him winning against opponents like Reiner and Mikasa, or even Sasha? Absolutely zero.

Annie also picked up a new way to pass time during training, when she had nothing to do aside from studying him. She counted out all his flaws. She would think about all the negative things about him, and she found out that she could list a lot of them.

Annie disliked how much he smiled. He seemed to get along well with people, just like Christa. Those two were like two sides of the same coin, though Annie never found Christa as intelligent as him. No one was as intelligent as Armin, period.

He was clumsy and awkward. He cannot throw a decent punch if his life depended on it. He often dropped his things whenever a small noise startled him. He always stumbled whenever Shadis made them run, and his endurance was weak. No wonder he always came up last. Annie wondered why he just wouldn't accept rest just like the others.

She hated the way he shared about his dreams of going to the outside world. He would tell to anyone who would listen all about these mysterious lands, and the ocean which he so desperately wanted to see. She hated how stupid and naive he was for thinking that he would survive the Titans long enough to reach these things. But no one had the heart to tell him this, not when his blue eyes sparkled with the mere mention of the land beyond the walls.

Armin yelled with all his might as he lunged at an imaginary partner. Another one of his flaws: he never knew when to give up.

At last, two months had passed. The cadets lined up as Shadis called off who would be fighting who in the occassional switch. Annie rubbed her hands as the drill sergeant announced that it would be Berthold versus Thomas first, and she followed the others as they cleared an area for the match.

Armin sidled up to her. He seemed nervous, but he did a good job at hiding it.

"Is the deal still on?" she asked. The crowd clapped as Berthold was declared the winner.

"Yes," he said. "You know I'm serious about it."

"I guess it would be pointless to tell you that this whole thing's stupid," she said.

He watched as Eren and Mina faced off before answering. "No, it's not."

She did not respond. She would prove her point once he loses in his approaching match.

Annie's name was called, and it really did not bother her that much when she was paired up with Reiner. She made sure to end the fight quickly, so they would move on to Armin already. A nice dodge of his arm and a quick wrap around his neck and torso, and Annie flipped Reiner's whole body weight to the ground. Shadis nodded his approval, and Annie went back to her place amidst the cadets awe-filled whispers.

"Armin Arlert and Connie Springer!"

Armin walked confidently to the front, taking his military jacket off as Connie stood opposite him, a sly grin on his face. Sasha whooped, wishing the two the best of luck. Annie saw Mikasa and Eren watching eagerly, as if they intended to interfere in case Armin needed help.

Annie tried not to snicker. Connie, huh? It seemed like Armin was luckier than she thought. The two of them were almost equally matched in terms of body structure, with them being almost the same height and weight, although Armin was leaner than Connie was. Still, his chances of winning wasn't all that impossible, and Annie can't decide whether that was a good or bad thing.

She wanted him to lose, sure, but there was also another side of her that wished to see him be congratulated.

 _You_ _need to get him out of your hair,_ she reminded herself. _He is a threat. If he becomes attached to you, he might know your secret._ She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts as Connie aimed a kick to Armin's side, which he dodged. He then followed it up by slamming his hand on the bald cadet's nape, which made him stumble, but not enough to make him fall.

Annie's eyes were wide. That move...it was one of her many techniques. She watched them, and noticed that Armin was obviously replicating her style. How could she be so stupid? Armin was weak, but he was smart. Of course he had memorized her moves during their training. She wouldn't lie; Annie was impressed.

Still, memorizing something was not the same as knowing it. Although Armin had the steps, he still did not have the proper strength to execute it, and in the end he was overpowered. As Connie helped him up and shook hand after the fight, Annie could only see Armin's disappointment behind the usual smile.

Armin kept his end of the bargain. He never bothered Annie again. He would still nod at her whenever they passed each other around camp and say the madatory greetings, but he never tried to force himself into her personal space. Their kitchen duties came to an end, and during training, instead of sparring with one another they opted to practice separately. This set up continued for three months (Armin lost spectacularly to Jean in his second match) until Shadis noticed their unusual training regimen.

"Arlert, Leonhardt, what do you think you're doing?" he asked one sunny afternoon, when he saw Annie throwing kicks at the tree.

"Training, sir," she answered calmly.

"Don't give me that bullshit. You two haven't been working together these past few weeks, and I want to know whether or not there is a problem." he said.

"It's my fault, sir. I asked Annie to let me practice alone until the time that I could finally keep up with her," answered Armin. _What was he doing?_ "I'm sorry for my incompetence, sir. I did not want to slow down my partner by being a burden."

It was only half of the truth, and Annie knew Shadis could see right through it. He stared at them, and they met his gaze, not wanting to break eye contact just in case he called out their bluff.

"Do you want to change partners, then?" he surprised them by saying. "If this is not helpful to the both of you then I suggest you separate. I want my soldiers to be in good, working condition once they graduate and join the military."

"Well..." said Armin. His eyes flicked over to her. "I'll respect whatever decision Annie makes."

What? Annie looked at Armin, but he was staring straight ahead. Should she do it? Say yes, she wants to switch pairs and just him off to someone else? Perhaps he thought that this was what she had always askes for, him staying away from her forever. If she said no, what would he think? That she wanted him to still be her partner after all, or that she was so cruel that she did not want to let him go where he was obviously better off?

She hated how much he made her confused. She would definitely add cunning to her long list of Armin Arlert's Unending Flaws.

"Okay," she finally replied. "Let's do the switch."

Shadis nodded and called out: "Anyone want to change partners?"

She wasn't surprised when Eren and Marco volunteered. In the end, she got paired up with the brunette while Armin walked off with Marco, who would now become his training buddy for the remainder of hand to hand combat.

Annie did not know how to feel. Sure, her training was going much more smoothly now that she had a competent partner, but she can't help the constant prick nagging at the back of her head everytime she saw Armin having fun with everyone else. She told herself she had made the right decision when Armin finally got his first victory (although it was with Christa, so it was pretty easy) and was now being his usual self again.

Another one of his flaws, Annie thought bitterly: He moves on quickly.

 **As she and Eren continued their rampage inside Wall Sina, all she could think about was her wrong answer during Shadis's one time offer.**

 **Her biggest flaw -- she could never make the right decisions like Armin does.**


	5. Chapter Five

AN: Yay! An early update! I'll be pretty busy for the next few weeks, so I thought that I'd compensate for my lack of updates in the near future by uploading two chapters today. So here's chapter five, and it is inspired by the song "State of Grace" by Taylor Swift. I think the lyrics "You came around and the armor falls/ Pierce the room like a cannonball" clearly describes Annie's slow acceptance in this chapter's featured flashback about how it's okay to let someone in, even if just by a little, and Armin's role in initiating this acceptance.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. All I own are my feels over this ship.

Chapter Five

 **Armin landed next to Jean on a roof overlooking the decimated church. Annie had fallen on top of the domed structure, effectively cutting off Pastor Nick's preaching and crushing almost half of the believers.**

 **He looked on as Annie struggled to defeat Eren, and although it was his plan and that he was the one who had lead her to her demise, Armin could not help but feel sorry for her. He once loved her, had once wanted to make her smile and laugh, but now all he could do as she tried to salvage what was left of her so-called mission was to watch.**

 **She pushed Eren off her, and she started climbing her way up the wall.** **Armin did not know what to do. Follow her? Stop her? He certainly did not want to kill her. He had betrayed her, yes, but he never wished for her to die. As he swung down on the streets with his ODM gear, though, a small, bright flower caught his attention and stopped him on his tracks. That flower...it looked familiar.**

"Hey, Armin. What's with you and Annie?"

Armin, who was reading atop his bunk in silence, gazed down to see Eren and the other boys of the 104th all looking up at him, waiting for an answer.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Eren spoke. "Nothing. It's just that, we were wondering whether something happened between the two of you."

Armin's cheeks turned red, and he spluttered out, "What makes you think that?"

"Well," answered Connie, "First she helps you take care of an illegal pet, knowing the risk, and yet she even tried to spare you by taking the blame. She challenges Ymir to a fight just because she insulted the two of you, but then suddenly -- poof. She's looking at you as if you pissed on her bowl or something."

"Yeah, she keeps on glaring at you during training, too," Eren piped up. "It's kinda weird sparring with someone who wouldn't even look at me but still manage to kick my butt."

Oh, so that was what they meant. Armin mentally slapped himself for over thinking. So they had noticed it too. Ever since the end of their training partnership, he had found himself on the receiving end of Annie's intense stares, but every time he looked back, she would turn away, scowling. He had a feeling that she was angry about something, and that it involved him somehow, but what it was, he had no idea.

Composing himself, he reluctantly closed his book, meeting their inquiring eyes, not knowing exactly how to explain the whole situation. He did not want to make it sound like it was Annie's fault, because it wasn't, but he also couldn't make them understand without telling them the whole story.

"Let's just say we're acting this way because we're conforming to some kind of deal," he said slowly, hoping that they'd drop the subject.

Jean looked unsatisfied. "That's it? You wouldn't even explain to us what this so called deal is?"

"He's right," agreed Thomas. "I don't get it in the least bit."

Armin sighed. "Annie and I -- we made a bet against each other. She wanted me to stop talking to her if she won, and I want her to start socializing if I did. Well, obviously, I lost. The wager was determined by my success in the very first two month fight --"

"Sorry," said Connie, realization washing over his features.

"Nah, it's fine. Anyway, Connie defeated me, so I did what Annie told me: I stayed away." he finished.

The boys exchanged looks. Armin shrugged, wanting to make it seem like it was nothing, and was about to return to his book when Reiner suddenly spoke up.

"Then why is she acting like you did something so awful, then?" he said. "She got what she wanted, didn't she?"

Armin did not have an answer to that. What Reiner had said was true, but Armin did not want to make any assumptions. With Annie, he almost always couldn't tell. Who knew what was going on inside her head? That was one of the things that made him so fascinated with her, though -- she was a puzzle he so desperately wanted to solve. He prided himself in being able to read people easily, but Annie was an exception. She was a mystery to him, an enigma.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"She's crazy," said Connie. "I mean, not like, Ymir crazy, but you get the point. It was good that you lost your bet Armin, you're better off not having to do anything with her."

"She's not that bad," said Eren. "She is scary, but I don't think she means any harm. She did help Armin out."

"And then dumped him," reminded Jean. "As a training partner, I mean."

Armin was about to pipe up a response when a sudden knock interrupted their conversation. The door opened and Sasha peeked in with Mikasa hovering on her back, obviously trying to get a view of Eren. The brown-haired girl smiled widely, letting herself in, Mikasa following behind her.

"What's up?" asked Eren. "Is there something wrong, Mikasa?"

"No, everything is fine," she replied.

Sasha put her hands on her hips, grinning. "We just came here to tell you all that Shadis had announced that after the last set of fights this year, we'd be allowed to explore the nearest district, which is Trost, and have a day all to ourselves! It's kind of like a reward for making it through out first year, and a rest before the grueling next stage of the training."

There were whoops and cheers from the guys, and Armin settled himself with a small smile.

"So, the date's on, alright? We'll be visiting Trost." said Sasha.

"Sure," replied Connie for all of them. "We'll be there."

"Great. Goodnight guys."

"Goodnight, Eren," said Mikasa. She waved him goodbye, ignoring Jean's pathetic attempt at a goodbye.

Excited chattering ensued once the girls had gone. Everyone started talking about the things they would do and buy (they still had monthly allowances) in their one day of freedom. Armin went back to his book, but found himself unable to concentrate, so he stuffed it back under his pillow and lied down, waiting for sleep to come. The voices around the room became soft and distant to his ears, and before he closed his eyes, he vaguely thought whether or not Annie would be coming with them.

It was the last day of hand-to-hand combat. The cadets were in a relatively good mood during breakfast, no doubt thinking that tomorrow couldn't come too quickly. Armin cannot help but join them; for the first time in his life, he'd be hanging out with friends other than Eren and Mikasa, doing the things normal teenagers do.

His eyes searched for Annie in the cafeteria, and saw her sitting on a table with Mina, who was talking to her animatedly. She wasn't replying, and was merely nodding along to whatever it was her friend was saying. Suddenly, Annie looked up to meet his gaze, and Armin decided to take a chance by giving her a tentative smile. Annie did not return it.

As the trainees lined up shoulder to shoulder in front of Shadis, all Armin could think about was how distant Annie was. He did not label her actions as rude, or based on anger, but as distant. Usually, she acknowledged his greetings, but he noticed that she often glares at him everytime he laughed along with the others. Now that he thought about it, this started after they finished their kitchen duties, when they absolutely had nothing to do with each other anymore. Why she would feel bad about that, he did not know.

At last the day was over, with all of the cadets tired and sore, but hopeful. Armin had won his last match against Sasha, who did not seem to take the fight too seriously (she even laughed when he had flipped her to the dirty ground). He guessed it didn't mean that much to her -- after all, her record was way better than his. Finally free from combat training and with some time left before dinner, Armin decided to finish his reading. He retrieved his book from the boys cabin and started looking for a quiet spot in camp. The cadets were scattered all around the grounds in groups, talking and laughing. Eren spotted him and waved him over to where he was spending time with the whole gang, but Armin simply pointed to his book, smiled, and left.

He was starting to give up on finding any silent place around camp when he suddenly remembered the cliff Reiner and Berthold had shown him and Eren during their first week. He hurried, trudging up the path to where the giant tree overlooking the lake stood, and once he got there he flopped down on the soft grass with a thump. He could not think of a much better place; the tree provided him shade, while a gentle breeze ruffled his corn-colored hair. The cliff wasn't steep, or rocky, ao he had no time to worry about falling. The lake below him twinkled in the sunlight, almost like a miniature version of the ocean he always dreamt about. He closed his eyes.

He had never felt more relaxed in his life. Only now did he realize how difficult the past year was. He had expected to face some hardships during training, but he never knew that it would be that extreme. Still, he was able to survive long enough to finish the first stage of the military exercises, and for that he was grateful. Also, he was able to meet so many new people, sharing experiences with them that he knew he would keep in his mind forever. He was, however strange it may sound like, happy.

The sound of a branch snapping broke him out of his reverie. He opened his eyes to see Annie staring at him, her face illuminated by the sunlight coming through the treetop. She had her hand on the tree's body, as if using it for balance, and her eyes were wide. She clearly had not expected him to be there. Her usual emotionless gaze replaced the shocked look on her face so quickly that Armin wondered whether she had an automatic button for her feelings or something.

"Hi, Annie," he greeted.

"Hey," she mumbled.

Probably deciding that he meant no harm, Annie seated herself a respectable distance away from him, close enough to see each other, but far enough not to breach one another's solitude. Armin realized that he won't be able to read again today with Annie being here. She distracted him too much for him to be able to focus on the pages before him. Still, to keep up the act, he pretended to be reading, his eyes going over the words and pictures before him. They merely danced before his eyes. No matter how much he tried, he can't help but steal glances at the girl beside him.

Annie was sleeping. Her eyelids were shut tight, and her hands were stuffed inside the large front pocket of her hoodie. Armin was mesmerized at the sight of her, not because he found her attractive or anything (No, it definitely wasn't that at all), but because he had never seen her like this before. She almost looked...vulnerable. Some locks of her pale blond hair had come out of its bun, framing her face like thin, golden threads. Her nose -- which people often made fun of her with behind her back -- stood proudly and prominently, and unlike most, Armin thought that it suited her sharp features perfectly. Her shoulders drooped, and for once she did not look murderous -- just a girl having her much needed rest.

Armin had a strong urge to reach out and brush a hair behind her ear. He wondered what she would do to him if he ever got the courage to go through with it. Break his fingers, probably.

"It's rude to stare, Arlert," she suddenly said.

Armin jumped, embarrassed at being caught in such a weird act. So embarrassed, in fact, that he suddenly said a little too loudly, "Did you know that my last name literally means 'a ruling eagle'?"

Annie stared at him as if he had lost his mind. Maybe he did. Armin chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head and secretly hoping that the ground would just open and swallow him up already. A few awkward moments passed, and Armin buried his face in his book to hide his mortification.

But then something remarkable happened: Annie laughed. It was a soft sound, almost like a giggle, but not quite.

Her laughter was enough to make him freeze and forget about his present dilemma. Armin looked up, not believing what he was seeing, but before he could fully get a good grasp of what she was doing, Annie stopped, exhaling.

"Annie..." he said slowly, "are you alright?" He needed to know.

She waved his question off. "I'm fine."

"Oh -- okay then. I'm sorry, by the way. For staring." he said.

"Am I really that interesting to you?" she asked. She sounded genuinely curious. "I just laughed you know, like most people do, so don't look so surprised."

"I know you can laugh," he said. "I guess what never crossed my mind is the possibility of you actually doing it. That's two different things."

She did not answer. Annie set her gaze on the lake spread out before them, and Armin thought that the water reflected the blue of her eyes.

"You're right," she finally said.

Silence followed. It was a comfortable kind of silence, though, so Armin can't really complain. He wondered what she meant when she had asked about how interesting she was. Did she think of herself as someone that had no good qualities? It seemed that way to Armin. He knew the feeling all too well, so he was able to recognize her question for what it really was.

"When I was little, the bigger boys in my town often beat me up. They'd always corner me in some secluded alley or street, and then they'd make fun of me and my grandpa and try to take my book." he played with a small, yellow flower he had picked up. "Note the word, try. Eren and Mikasa -- they would always come and help me before the bullies could do any real damage."

He did not know what he was telling her this, or if she was even listening, but she wasn't stopping him, so he took that as a good sign.

"All my life, they always stood up for me. I admire them so much. I always thought, 'Wow, Eren and Mikasa are so brave. I wish I could be like them'." he continued. He blew at the flower's petals, but they remained intact. "What I'm trying to say is that I lived my life thinking that I was useless, a burden. But my friends always reminded me that that was not the case. And I believe them."

"That's bullshit. That's what friends always say to each other, and you're stupid if you believe that. You are useless, and you should know that by now," said Annie, but he noticed the lack of venom in her words.

Her words were harsh, but for some unknown reason, it did not hurt him. He knew that that was just how she was -- blunt and uncaring. So instead of being mad, he smiled at her.

"You're right," he said, nodding. "I am useless. But not always, and I think that's what counts. I may not be much, but I've helped Eren and Mikasa several times already with my thinking. It's my best asset, and no one will be able to tell me otherwise. I am not that stupid enough to accept that."

Annie watched him eagerly as he continued: "How about you Annie? You are brave and strong and smart -- everything I wished I was. Maybe that's why I'm so interested with you. Don't let your best qualities go to waste. You should use them to help others like Eren and Mikasa."

The sun was setting. Armin stood up, brushing a few blades of grass off his pants. He had not expected Annie to follow suit. She grunted as she picked herself up, turning around to face him.

"I think this is one of those times where you aren't that useless," she said.

He raised an eyebrow at her. Annie started walking down the slope, but he remained rooted to his spot until she called out: "Are you coming or not?"

Armin caught up with her. They walked towards the cafeteria together, and as they stood by the door, about to part ways, Armin took his chance and asked: "Will you come with us tomorrow, then? At Trost?"

Annie had a thoughtful look on her face. Armin crossed his fingers.

"Okay," she replied. "But you are not going to force me into talking with anyone. Especially Sasha."

Armin laughed. He extended his hand to her. " That seems fair. Deal."

She took his hand, and for the very first time gave him an honest to goodness smile. It was truly a sight to behold. It made Armin's breath hitch, and he realized that he was squeezing her hand too tightly.

"Sorry!" he said, letting go. He finally noticed the small flower still clutched tightly on his other hand, and he presented it to her, saying, "Here. It's... a peace offering."

There it was again -- her small, rare laugh. They went to their separate tables, but Armin was aware of how much he was staring at her, ignoring Eren's constant questioning about what the hell they were shaking hands for earlier.

He also saw her humming to herself, refusing to answer Mina's inquiry regarding the yellow flower she had uncharacteristically tucked on her ear.

 **Seeing the same flower before him now made Armin breathless, just as he was all those years ago, when Annie had decided to finally grace him with her smile. What had he done? He had sold her out to the Survey Corps, had chosen his comrades over the girl he loved, all for the sake of humanity.**

 **Eren's Titan form stood and ran to where Annie was, unknowingly stepping on the beautiful flower. As Armin gazed at its crushed form, all he knew was that there was no repairing the things that had been broken.**


	6. Chapter Six

AN: And here's the promised second update! Jeez, I have to wake up early tomorrow, but I needed to upload this for y'all. Anyway, listen to Seafret's "Atlantis" for this chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Only Isayama's brain could handle that much intensity.

Chapter Six

 **"Fall." said Mikasa. She had sliced off Annie's fingers, and the female Titan could only scream as her world slowly crumbled before her eyes.**

 ** _Even if the whole world becomes your enemy, remember that I would always be on your side._ Annie could hear her father's words in her mind, clear as day. Oh, how she longed to see his face again.**

 ** _Forgive me, Father,_ she thought, _I had failed you._** **She wanted to fill her thoughts with every moment she had with her Father before the inevitable end, but another face loomed out of her foggy memories, spreading a dull ache from her heart to the very tips of her fingers.**

 **Long, corn-colored hair, deep, blue eyes that seemed wise beyond their years, and a small button nose. Armin.**

 ** _Armin...forgive me, too. I killed our friends, murdered your comrades. There is no saving me._**

"Fall!" shouted Sasha gleefully, as she pushed Connie towards the lake.

He fell with a loud splash, spattering water onto the others, who were sitting by the rocky shore, removing their clothes. Annie smirked when she saw Ymir give Sasha a push, sending her flying after Connie.

"Come on, Christa, let's go together!" the tall brunette said, grabbing her friend by the arm and pulling her under the water.

She looked at the others. Mikasa and Eren were in the middle of a wrestling match against Thomas and Mina, with both girls being carried on the guys' shoulders; Connie and Sasha splashed water on any unsuspecting swimmer's face; Ymir was teaching Christa how to do a back float; and Reiner, Berthold, Jean and Marco prepared the food they had bought with their shared allowances. It was nothing much, just a few loaves of bread, fish, and a block of meat they had spent their last money with. Still, it was something. Annie could feel the joyful ambiance around her, and although she may not look like it, she was actually pretty glad that she came.

There were only two people who weren't doing anything -- her and the blond boy sitting beside her. Armin was buried deep in a book, his brows furrowing as he scanned the pages of whatever it was he was reading. Like most of them today, he wore civilian clothes. He wore his usual white polo shirt, but now the top was unbuttoned, and he had rolled up the sleeves to his elbows. His brown shorts complimented the look, and he wore no shoes. Perhaps because he wanted to feel the dirt like her.

Annie curled her toes, feeling the muddy ground squish through the gaps between them. She was amazed at how they had discovered this place. Apparently, a guard of the garrison had given Mikasa and Sasha a heads-up about some hidden lake at the far end of the Trost forest. It had taken them some two hours of walking around the district before they finally reached the place, but she agreed with them when they had said that it was worth it.

"Aren't you going to swim?"

Annie looked up at Armin, who had now closed his book and was studying his friends. She shrugged, drawing a circle on the sand with a piece of stick.

"Aren't you?" she shot back.

He gulped, scratching the back of his head. He said in a small voice, "I don't know how to."

"What?" she asked, not quite catching what he had said.

"I said I don't know how to swim." he repeated.

Annie raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "There really isn't any bodies of water in Shiganshina, you know, except the waterway."

She stared at him. Perhaps she was wrong to assume that everyone knew something as basic as swimming, but thinking about it now, there were very few lakes and rivers inside the walls. Armin shrugged, nonchalant, his gaze going back to his friends. Eren waved at them.

Armin waved back. Annie knew what she had to do -- after all, what else was there to do around here, anyway?

She stood up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" asked Armin.

"I'm going to teach you how to swim," she replied flatly. "Now come on, stand up."

"What? No!" said Armin. He realized that he had shouted. Clearing his throat, he amended, "Really Annie, it's fine. You don't have to."

"But I want to," she said, deadly serious. "Now man up, Arlert."

Armin had no choice but to follow her to the edge of the shore. Annie took of her hoodie, leaving her with nothing but a thin, white undershirt. She turned to Armin, who was doing his best to avert his eyes from her body. She almost smiled, but she stopped herself. Oh, she was going to have fun alright. He had asked her to come here, and she would make him regret it.

"Something wrong?" she asked. "Hey Armin, look at me."

He settled his gaze on her hair, refusing to look down. He looked absolutely hilarious. Armin's cheeks were tinged with pink, and he was trying so hard to keep his face straight. Annie decided to play with him more.

"Aren't you going to take off your shirt?" she asked, making a big show of studying his clothes.

"Huh?" he said. He looked down at his wardrobe. "Uh -- no. I guess not."

"What? You don't expect me to teach you in that, do you?"

"Well --"

"What?"

"I really do prefer to have my shirt on --"

"Oh, drop it," she said, taking a few steps towards him. Her face remained impassive all throughout the exchange.

Armin stepped back with her every step, until he tripped over a rock, and with a yelp, fell on his butt on the dirty ground. Annie wasn't able to suppress her smile then. He winced, shooting her a dirty look.

"Here," she offered him her hand.

Armin took it, standing up, obviously miffed. Annie smiled apologetically at him. _What is wrong with me?_ She had smiled today more than she had ever smiled in her entire life. Shaking her head, she lead him back to the edge of the lake.

"Okay, seriously, take off that shirt," she said.

Armin sighed, defeated. "Fine. But don't laugh, okay?"

She nodded. Armin hung his shirt on a nearby boulder. He stood awkwardly in front of her, running his hand through his hair. Annie gazed at him. He was lean, but it wasn't all that bad. Sure, he had not one iota of muscle in his body, but his flat stomach and long arms fit his height just right.

"So?" he said.

"So?" she repeated. "We go swimming."

They chose a secluded spot on the far side of the lake where no one would bother them. Their friends were within seeing distance, but they were far enough not to interfere. Besides, they were all too busy doing their own things that they really did not pay them mind that much. At least, at first.

Annie held both of Armin's hands as she lead him deeper and deeper into the waters, careful not to let him go in case he suddenly panicked and drowned himself. That would be a problem. She started by teaching him the basic breathing techniques. She instructed him to dunk his head into the water and breathe through his nose and mouth right after inhaling. Armin often came up for air after a few seconds, spouting water and coughing. Annie patiently waited for him to learn the breathing procedures before teaching him how to actual swim.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and waist as she turned him over, so he was practically facedown in the water. To his credit, Armin did not complain. He did what she asked even though it was very clear that he was scared; Annie marveled at how much trust he was putting in her. She demonstrated the arm movements to him, and after a few hours of much flopping and water-gulping, he was finally able to swim a short distance, albeit a little ungraceful. Still, it was progress.

Armin beamed at her after he had made his first swim. "I did it! Did you see that?"

Annie nodded. "I did. That was good."

He laughed, spinning around on his spot. She couldn't helo but give a small laugh herself. Annie was not expecting someone to suddenly pull on her ankle, though. Taking in a sudden breath as she got plunged down, she opened her eyes underwater to see Ymir pulling her, quirking an eyebrow on the look on Annie's face. Annie kicked hard, and Ymie let her go, laughing when she had broke the surface. Annie scoffed at her, unimpressed.

She looked around to see the others surrounding her and Armin…wait. Where was Armin? She looked around wildly, hoping to see a mop of blond hair poking out of the water. When she did not see his face, she started to panic.

"Did you all do that ankle pulling trick?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Yeah," said Connie, grinning. "Why?"

"Who pulled Armin down?" she asked.

They all exchanged glances.

"I did. Why?" asked Sasha, confused.

"Idiot," said Annie, as she noticed bubble breaking near the middle of the lake.

Without saying anything to them, she swam quickly to where the spot was, diving until she found Armin struggling to breathe underwater. His arms had just went limp when she pulled him with her to the surface. She immediately dragged him to shore, where everyone followed.

Armin suddenly sat up as air filled his lungs, and he broke out into a fit of coughing.

"Armin, are you okay?" asked Mikasa, kneeling over to where he was.

"Yeah, breathe man, there you go," encouraged Eren.

"You," said Annie, pointing an accusing finger to Sasha. The cadets watched as the she berated the poor brown-haired girl. "You could have killed him. He was only starting to learn how to swim. You should know better than to pull a prank on --"

"Annie--"

"--him. You guys always think everything is a joke. What if he drowned? What if--"

"Annie--"

"You really are very --"

"Annie."

Annie stopped. She whirled around, ready to strike at whoever it was who had dared interrupt her, but realized that it was Armin who had spoken. A towel had been draped over him, and he was smiling weakly.

"I think we forgot our clothes," he said. He stood up shakily. "Let's get them. And it's alright Sasha --" he said, turning to his friend, "--don't worry about it."

"But--" she protested, but he cut her off.

"And I thought we made a deal that you wouldn't talk to anyone, particularly Sasha?" he reminded her.

He got her there. Armin smiled at her again, but she was too annoyed at his cleverness to properly return it. She simply nodded, and the two of them walked away to retrieve their clothes at the far end of the lake.

"Hey, thank you for saving me back there," he told her. "I thought I was going to die."

"It's nothing," she replied. "I'm just repaying the favor."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when Ymir and I got into a fight? If you hadn't taken that punch, I'm pretty sure that would have turned into an all out brawl, and I'd be in big trouble."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I see. But that's different. I didn't save you or anything, really. You, meanwhile -- you really rescued me back there."

Annie did not argue with him. She had to admit, her reasoning was lousy. When she had decided to save him earlier, it wasn't because he had that particular reason in mind -- she saved him because she wanted to, period. It was one of her impulsive acts, and she realized that she often had those whenever she was with him.

They hadn't realized how distant their spot where from the others until they saw them sitting around a campfire by the time they got back.

Reiner and Jean distributed the food. They passed the delicacies around, and Sasha offered half a slice of her bread to Armin as her way of apologizing, but he refused. Annie sat to Armin's left, with Mina resting on her right.

"So," began Mina in a conspiratorial whisper, "I guess now I know where you got that yellow flower from yesterday, huh?"

She nodded her head towards Armin's direction, a knowing smile slowly spreading on her face. Annie refused to acknowledge her statement, and Mina took that as a confirmation.

"Hey Armin," Mina suddenly said, much to Annie's horror. Armin turned around from his conversation with Eren and Mikasa in order to look at her.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked.

"Thank you," replied Mina. When he raised his eyebrows in question, she added, "You know, for convincing Annie to come with us."

"Oh," he said, smiling. He set his eyes on Annie's. "It was my pleasure."

Annie pulled her knees closer to her body so she could bury her face in them. She smiled underneath the skin, and although she would not admit it, she was kind of happy with his response.

Of course she would not actually show it. Annie's face remained impassive throughout the night, although she would give the occassional smile to Armin and the others. She was -- and she could not believe it -- having fun.

 _Well, looks like he did save me after all,_ Annie said to herself as they all walked back to camp. Armin walked beside her under the stars, and she can't help but feel all warm inside. _Saved me from a boring day at ca_ _mp_ And for now, that was enough.

 **Annie felt tears fall down her face. She wanted to keep that memory with her forever, save it in a small compartment of her mind, where all other things about him were kept.**

 **She did not know that she was going to fall in love after that fateful day, but once she did, she remembered promising herself that she would save him from anything.**

 **Annie should have known that that promise included herself.**

 **As cold tendrils slowly wrapped around her body, Annie could only think about how good it must be to have another life, one that she could live with him, and as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, she pretended that that was all she knew.**

 **Crystal covered her whole body, and Annie knew no more.**


	7. Chapter Seven

AN: And I'm back! So here is Chapter Seven guys, and this chapter would mark the end of Part I of Temporary Bliss. The next Chapter, the eighth one, would be the beginning of Part II, wherein the narrative would diverge from the manga and anime. As you have noticed, the previous chapters so far have conformed to the original AoT story (except for the flashbacks I created). Chapter Eight and the next ones would not be the same; they would only be loosely based on Isayama's story. Anyway, you'd know it when you see it. Hahaha.

Song inspiration for this one -- "It Ain't Me" by Kygo feat. Selena Gomez. I am not a big fan of EDM, but this song the MV for this is just too good that I had to dedicate a chapter to it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. I hoped so, but no such luck.

Chapter Seven

 **They covered Annie's crystal with a black cloth. The Survey Corps tied ropes around the solid rock, adjusting it inside a cart. Finally secured, they hauled Annie back to the MP Headquarters where she would be held until the time that her fate had been decided.**

 **Armin watched until the cart disappeared around a bend. He knew that another court trial would be in order, one that would decide whether or not the Survey Corps would gain custody over the crystal. He wasn't worried; he trusted Commander Erwin and Lance Corporal Levi.**

 **He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Squad Leader Hange standing next to him.**

 **"And there she goes," she said wistfully. Hange smiled at him. "By the way, good job, Armin."**

 **Good job at what? Leading the girl he cared about to her bitter end? Her words felt like a slap to his face, but knowing that she meant no harm, he simply nodded.**

 **"I was just doing my duty." that was the most honest answer he could give her.** **She raised her eyebrows at him.**

 **"I just wish she would bust out of that crystal, though. We need answers."**

 **"I do, too," he said, and Hange was oblivious to the real meaning behind his answer.**

"Arlert, what do you think you're doing?" shouted Keith Shadis, who galloped next to the running cadets on his brown horse.

Armin wiped his eyes. The hoods they gave them were not enough to block out the rain from pouring on their faces. He felt his eyes sting from the unending stream of liquid, and he can't really do much to wipe them -- his sleeves were all soaked, too.

The 104th were ordered to run laps around the nearby forest, and Armin was lagging behind the rest of the group. They had been going at it for hours now, and his strength was waning. He tried to ignore the stitch on his side and focus on the task at hand, since the last time they did this exercise, Reiner had helped him; he did not want to rely on him, or anyone else, again.

As Shadis finally moved on to the front of the pack, Armin can't help but to bend over and catch his breath. _This is torture_. He looked up, closing his eyes and feeling the rain on his face. _I can't stop now. Not when I had already reached the second stage of training._

With newfound determination, Armin picked up his pace. He was definitely last -- he couldn't see his comrades anymore. Shaking his head, he ran faster, hoping he could catch up with them. As he turned a bend, though, something caught his eye. Someone was leaning against a tree, and he knew those pale blond locks all too well.

"Annie," he said. He was right -- the person's hood fell off to reveal the face of Annie Leonhardt.

She nodded to his pack. "I was starting to think you'd never come."

"You waited for me?"

"Kind of."

He was confused. "Why would you do that?"

She shrugged. "Because I want to."

Armin shook his head, laughing softly. If he learned something about Annie, it was that when she decided upon something, she would go through with it no matter what. It made him admire her even more, although what she did now would definitely have some consequences.

"You do know that this has some bearing on the final rankings, right?" he asked. He knew how much she wanted to be a part of the Military Police, but her waiting for him wouldn't help her in the least.

She shrugged. "I know."

"I thought your goal was to make it to the top ten."

"It is."

"Then why did you stay behind, then? You could be first if you tried!"

She didn't reply. Annie adjusted her backpack and put the hood over her head. She turned forward, gazing on the footsteps of the other cadets left on the murky ground. Not for the first time, Armin wondered about what was going on in her head.

"Come on, we can still catch up," she said quietly.

Armin nodded. The two of them ran after their friends, but Armin knew that Annie was holding back. She could reach the others in record time if she hadn't been trying to keep up with him.

"Annie," he said, when he saw her deliberately slowing down. "You could go on ahead."

"What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine with this pace."

"Annie."

She looked at him, raising her eyebrows on his tone. He was glad that she waited for him, he really was, but he also did not want to pull her down. She could do so many great things, and he knew nothing should hold her back. He was way beyond ecstatic to know that she was willing to run with him even if it meant being last, but he also needed to remind her of her original goal.

"Annie," he said. He stopped, grabbing her arm. "Let's make a bet."

"Seriously, Armin? Right now?" she asked, exasperated.

He nodded.

"Fine," Annie sighed, impatient. "What is it?"

"If I get to the camp first, you will have no choice but to not help me in any future task, okay?"

"What?"

"No more waiting, and anything else. You will try your best to win something if you knew you could -- like finishing first in the running task today."

Annie snorted. "And what makes you think I have plans of doing this again? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe this is just a one time thing? That maybe I waited for you now, but in the next training I'll completely ignore you?"

Armin thought about that. He considered her statement, thinking it over. Would she? With Annie, it was hard to tell. Still, he was willing to bet all his books that Annie was bluffing. Her waiting for him now was proof enough for that --Annie never waited for anyone.

"Then you wouldn't have any problems with my proposition, then. When you think about it, what you said and what the deal is about is practically the same." said Armin.

He knew he had her then. Annie's face turned a slight shade of pink, and she huffed. So logic rules all, in the end. Before Armin could so much as smile, Annie started to run.

"Get ready to lose, Arlert!"

When Armin had finally reached camp, all muddy and wet, the cadets were already gathered around a fire and wearing dry clothes.

"Finally," said Eren. He walked over to him and handed him a towel and a fresh change of clothes. "Here."

Once Armin had taken a shower (he was, by this time, sick of more water) and changed, he felt slightly better. As he stepped into the room where the other cadets were gathered, his eyes searched for Annie. He saw her sitting next to Mina, wearing her signature hoodie, and she looked up to shoot him a smug smirk. He shrugged and smiled, and took his seat next to his friends.

"Hey, Armin, we thought you died," said Ymir, patting him on the back. "I bet my dinner on Christa that you'd be found dead by tomorrow, so you being here kind of ruined my chances."

Armin smiled at her. "My bad. Maybe next time, Ymir."

"What held you up, anyway?" asked Mikasa.

"Nothing," he replied. "You know I'm a lousy runner."

"Annie came in third to the last," said Marco in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh," said Armin, his eyes glancing over to where she was. "Who was second to the last, then?"

"Daz," answered Eren.

The other laughed good-naturedly on the look on Daz's face.

"Hey guys!" said Sasha. Connie followed behind her. "Look what we found!"

She held up an empty liquor bottle for all of them to see. Grinning, she sat down and looked around all of them.

"We thought that since we rarely get to be all together in one place, we should take the chance to know more about each other," said Connie. "I mean, it's been one year, but all I know about Ymir is that she's a freckled jerk."

"Thanks, Connie."

"Anyway, let's play!"

"Everyone should join, then," suggested Christa. "It would be fun."

"Okay, okay, everyone, gather 'round!" announced Jean.

Armin was surprised when Annie flopped down next to him. He knew she did not like these kind of activities. When he raised his eyebrows, all she said was, "Mina forced me."

He laughed, and he turned his attention back to Sasha. The cadets had formed a circle. Sasha smiled as she explained the game's mechanics.

"It's simple. We all just have to answer a question -- what's your favourite food or something like that." she said. "The bottle chooses who gets to ask the question."

She spun it, and its nose stopped in Christa's direction. "Ask away."

Christa put a finger to her chin, thinking. "What's your favorite color?"

"Red."

"Gray."

"Yellow."

"Yellow."

"Eren's eyes."

"Mikasa, that's not a color," said Eren irritably.

"Yes, it is. It's dark green." she replied.

"Well I'd say that my favorite color is Christa's eyes, then." said Reiner, grinning.

"Back off, muscle man," warned Ymir.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," said Jean. He spun the bottle again, and it pointed on Mina.

"Hmm," she said. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "What's the best gift you ever received?"

"Me first!" said Sasha. "Bread."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Ymir.

"My mom once gave me a handkerchief she sewed," answered Thomas.

"Hannah's love, of course," said Franz, as Hannah blushed beside him. The cadets made gagging noises.

"Your turn Armin."

"It's an old straw hat my grandfather gave me," he replied.

"Not your book?" asked Berthold, surprised.

"No. I love it, but that hat was the last thing my grandfather gave me before he left. You know -- to fight the Titans."

"Sorry," said Connie.

Armin smiled to make them know it was okay. "It's fine."

"How about you, Annie?" asked Mina, turning to her friend.

Annie replied in her usual emotionless tone: "A flower."

The cadets looked interested. It was unusual to have Annie participate in one of their games, but it was more unusual for her to answer something so uncharacteristic. Annie and a flower? It did not make sense.

It seemed like only Mina was the only one not surprised by her answer. Armin, although he had an idea of what flower she was pertaining to, was surprised that it meant that much to her.

"Who gave it to you?" asked Hannah, excited.

Annie simply smiled, which gave them the creeps.

"Wait a second," said Eren, a thoughtful look on his face. "I think I saw Armin --"

Annie silenced him with a glare, while Armin looked mortified. Eren shut up, realizing his mistake. He gave his best friend an apologetic smile. Marco coughed, uncomfortable.

"Ho-ho," said Ymir, smiling slyly. "That is so sweet of you, Armin. Don't you think so, Annie?"

Armin's face was pink in the firelight. Thanks to Eren's big mouth, the cadets were now looking at him and Annie with knowing smiles. He was so embarrassed, he can't even look at her.

"It was nothing special. I just --" he started to explain, but Annie cut him off by answering Ymir's question.

"It is sweet," she said, and he was surprised to see her smirking. "Maybe you should take notes from Armin, Ymir. The way I see it, your moves on Christa are getting a little rusty. Reiner's going to surpass you if you don't amp up your game."

"Ooh," said Sasha, turning to the freckled girl. "She got you there."

The cadets laughed.

Ymir frowned. "Whatever, Leonhardt."

The game continued, but Armin was too distracted to focus on the questions. He risked a look on Annie and found her staring at the fire, a small smile on her face. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned, meeting his gaze.

"Best gift, huh," he said quietly, so only they could hear.

"Don't let it get over your head, Arlert." she said, but he could see the corners of her mouth lifting.

"Why is it so special?"

"Because I love flowers."

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

"What do you want me to say, because it came from you? It has nothing to do with you, just so you know."

"So it ain't me." he said.

"Right," she muttered, and it was funny to see her being so defensive.

They stayed like that all night, laughing and talking. Armin felt content. He was spending precious time with his friends, and Annie was sitting next to him, apparently feeling the same way. He couldn't think of a better way to end a grueling day of training.

 **As Armin made his way to the room where Eren was resting, he can't help but think about how happy he was that night. He closed his eyes, replaying that scene on his head over and over again.**

 **He imagined Annie waking up in her cell someday, lost and defeated. People would definitely be there when she opens her eyes again, and she would search for familiar faces. Someone would explain everything to her -- perhaps the Commander, or Hange.**

 **All he knew was that it wouldn't be him.**


	8. Chapter Eight

AN: And the eighth chapter is here! This would mark the beginning of Part II of Temporary Bliss. I'm so excited to write this, since this is kind of like the transition stage of the story; the narrative would now be mostly based on my version of events after Annie's crystalization. As usual, a song helped me write this, and that track would be Lana del Rey's "Summertime Sadness". It is one of my favorite songs ever, and I'm glad that I'm able to use it here. Anyway, happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Such epicness cannot be put into my hands.

Chapter Eight

 **"What do we do now?" asked Jean. He was standing at the far corner of the room, his arms crossed. He was frowning.**

 **Armin looked up when he heard his voice, startled. Armin almost forgot that he was in there with them, too. Him, Jean, and Mikasa were all inside Eren's room, waiting, but for what, he did not know. His best friend was currently resting, no doubt tired from the fight he had earlier. Armin had a nagging sense of foreboding in his chest, as if something bad was going to happen, but he chose to ignore it. What could be worse than having the girl he loved be trapped inside some solid, transparent rock?**

 **"I don't know," said Armin finally. "Commander Erwin is currently talking to the higher-ups. They're probably explaining the whole mission we had earlier. After all, the Survey Corps did act on their own, regardless of the plan being successful. We'll have to wait for the outcome of that meeting -- until then, we wait."**

 **Jean sighed. He walked over to the window, looking out on the streets.**

 **"The plan was successful, alright. But many still died, and not to mention, Stohess would need some major reconstruction. Expect them to ask for heavy compensation." he commented.**

 **Armin silently agreed with him. He had a pretty good idea of what that compensation could be, and it brought a sick feeling to his stomach. He clenched his hands, trying to control the mix of emotions swirling inside him: grief, regret, triumph, relief -- he did not know that such feelings could coexist with one another at the same time.**

 **Now that everything was over, the implications of what he had done came crashing down on him. Annie's crystalized form popped in and out of his mind, her eyes closed, with frozen tears rolling down her cheeks. Armin felt like a hand had clutched his heart and was squeezing it too tightly; it was about to burst any minute now, he was sure of it.**

 **"Armin, are you alright?" asked Mikasa, concerned.** **He realized that he was shaking. Armin cleared his throat, opening and closing his hands to relieve some tension. He gave her a reassuring smile.**

 **"I'm fine," he replied.**

 **She was about to say something else when the door opened to reveal a Survey Corps soldier, standing stiffly on the threshold, a clipboard in hand.**

 **"I'm here for Jean Kirchstein and Armin Arlert?" he said, looking around the faces in the room.**

 **Jean and Armin exchanged glances. Bidding Mikasa goodbye, they followed the soldier to the MP Headquarters, where Armin assumed they would be meeting the Commander. He gulped.** **To distract his mind, he turned his gaze toward the walls looming over to their left. Birds flew overhead, passing it and going to the outside world without any hesitation, worried about nothing. Armin wished he could be like them. They looked so free…**

Armin was at the edge of the world -- or at least, that's what he liked to think.

He was standing at the edge of Wall Rose, overlooking the lands that remained of the ruined Wall Maria. All he could see from where he was were trees, trees, and more trees. He squinted his eyes, hoping to get a glimpse of something else, but no such luck. He guessed he had to wait for his first expedition once he joined the Survey Corps to find out. He can't wait for that day. Sure, the prospect of going into Titan territory wasn't exactly that appealing, but the chance to go out and explore was enough to keep his hopes up.

He looked behind him. The 104th were milling around; some, like him, enjoyed the view, while others talked in small groups. They weren't really doing anything special today. The order was simply to tour across Wall Rose, familiarize themselves with its defenses, and of course study the Garrison's functions. He was sure this would be a part of their test on their upcoming Titan classes. He can't wait for that, either -- he was very good when it comes to academics, after all.

He smiled when he saw Eren struggling to push Mikasa off him, as she had taken it to herself to straighten his unruly hair. She wrapped her red scarf around his neck to keep him in place, and started patting his black locks back into place.

"Mikasa, I can do it myself, thank you," said Eren irritably.

"Stay still, I'm almost done --"

"Seriously, Mikasa, stop --"

"They're quite the duo, aren't they?"

Annie had walked up to him. She was looking at his best friends, too, and her expression bored. Armin nodded, agreeing with her statement earlier on.

"They've been like that since I can remember," he replied. "It's kind of entertaining, really."

"It's annoying," she said flatly.

He laughed. "Well, I guess sometimes, it is."

"Why is Mikasa so smitten with him, anyway? Eren's kind of stupid, if you ask me. His only redeeming quality is his unending determination to -- as he puts it -- kill all Titans."

"I thought you liked Eren," said Armin, raising his eyebrow at her.

"I do," she clarified. "He's tolerable, unlike most of the people here."

"Oh?" he said, and there was some unknown feeling on his chest.

She nodded, oblivious to his discomfort. "Say, you want to join the survey corps, right?"

"Yes," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know if you're serious."

"Of course I'm serious about that!"

She raised her hands. "Easy. I was just asking."

"Sorry," he muttered sheepishly.

"You want to see the outside world that badly, huh," she said quietly, almost like she was talking to herself.

"Yes, I do," he answered. "Eren and I made a promise that we would go to the ocean together."

"You should go there at summer." she suddenly said, looking thoughtful.

Armin stopped, thinking. There was something in her voice when she had suggested it, almost as if…as if she'd been there. But that was impossible. How could Annie have gone beyond the walls? He shook his head. _There's no way. You're looking into it too much._

Apparently seeing the confused look on his face, Annie explained further.

"I mean, the sun is all up when it's

summer, and it's hot, so the feel of the water on your body would be really good." she said. "And just imagine how nice it would be to see the ocean all twinkling in the sunlight."

Armin closed his eyes, picturing the scene in his mind. It was wonderful. Annie was right, they should go there on the summer, preferably with her.

"I see," he said, smiling. "It's great, Annie. I really wish we could do it."

"You will," she replied, conviction evident in her voice. "I know you will."

Armin was amazed at her certainty. "Thank you. Hey Annie, if we ever do get out of here, will you go with us to the ocean?"

He saw her face change. She looked almost melancholic, with the way her eyes softened and her lips frowned slightly. Armin didn't know what it was that made her feel that way, but before he could ask her, Annie smiled and said, "Okay."

He turned his gaze back to the view, and Annie did the same. The sun was setting, bathing the surroundings in different shades of pink, orange, and yellow. Armin was awed at the sudden burst of colors. He reached his palm out, as if to touch the sun, and imagined what it felt like to run across these fields, not having to care about the Titans suddenly showing up. Their earlier conversation came to his mind, and he can't resist asking her the question that's been on his head since that talk.

"How about me? Am I tolerable enough?" he asked quietly.

Annie stared at him with her icy blue eyes. She put her hand to her chin, thinking. Armin gave her the best smile he could muster. She was unimpressed. _Hey, nothing bad in trying._ He waited, nervous of what he would hear.

"You're very, very frustrating," she decided.

"What?" he asked, confused.

Annie smiled coyly before walking away. "It's frustrating how much I can tolerate you, Arlert."

Armin grinned so widely he was pretty sure his face was about to split. He probably looked like an idiot, but he didn't care. He jogged after her, and maybe it was just his imagination, but he was quite sure she deliberately slowed down her steps.

 **Armin felt like slowing down now. They reached a closed, wooden door on the underground part of Headquarters. He was afraid of what lied ahead. He tried to think of something that would calm him, and what came to mind was Annie's description of the ocean during summertime.**

 **It was effective. Armin could feel his breathing even, his heart rate going back to normal. However, along with the calmness came sadness, and he knew he would never think of summer the same way again.**


	9. Chapter Nine

AN: Hey y'all. Ugh. The side of my head is throbbing like crazy, so yeah. I guess academics (I know it's summer and all, but we still have so many make-up classes and advance studying to do), watching anime, and writing this fic has taken its toll on me. But hey, no worries, 'cause I'm still alive and kicking. Anyway, this is loosely based on the AoT episode 2 OVA.

Song inspiration for this chapter? "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. In an alternate universe, maybe.

Chapter Nine

 **"Jean, Armin, take a seat."**

 **They did what they were told. Armin looked at Jean, and he seemed as confused as he was as to why they were called. There were three people in the room with them: Commander Erwin, Squad Leader Hange, and Lance Corporal Levi were all sitting before them, but wearing different expressions. One was serious, the other interested, while the last was looking bored as usual.**

 **Armin cleared his throat, waiting.**

 **"You're probably wondering why we summoned you here," said Erwin, "and the reason is simple -- we need both of you to answer some questions."**

 **"An interrogation?" said Jean, confused.**

 **"You could call it that," replied Hange. "But this more like a fact-checking, if you ask me. You see, something major is about to happen, and we need you two to be properly prepared."**

 **"What is it?" asked Armin.**

 **She looked at the Commander, who nodded for her to continue. "Well, it was decided that a trial would be held in order to decide Annie Leonhardt's fate, and we figured the two of you would probably be called upon to stand as witnesses."**

 **Jean shook his head. "I don't get it. Aren't the Survey Corps currently in hold of her?"**

 **The Commander said, "That's true. But that is only a temporary set up. The Military Police apparently wants custody over the Female Titan, and with what happened to Stohess, the higher-ups can't help but to heed their request."**

 **"Dammit," muttered Jean, clenching his fist.**

 **"There's no point getting all worked up about it," said Levi. "We're lucky enough to have a trial. What we need to do now is to make sure the two of you don't screw up and ruin our chances. I want that Female Titan, if you still hadn't noticed."**

 **Armin felt cold. Levi's eyes had a dangerous glint in them, and he knew why; Annie had killed his whole squad, and he wants his revenge. He couldn't blame him for that, but he still can't help but fear for Annie's safety. Military Police or Survey Corps, it doesn't really matter where she ends up, since both wanted her dead.**

 **"Jean, let's start with you," said Hange. She pulled out a sheet from the pile of papers next to her. "What do you know about Annie?"**

 **"Nothing much, really," he answered. "We were never close -- hell, she probably doesn't even consider me as a friend. The only real interaction I had with her was during the cook-off, and even then she only joined up with me because Armin apparently asked her to."**

 **"Is it true?" asked Hange, turning her goggled eyes on him.**

 **"Yes, but--" replied Armin, but she cut him off by immediately talking back with Jean.**

 **Armin sighed. He listened as Jean recalled the event, and he saw himself going back to that time, too.**

They were visiting Trost again, but this time, it wasn't for a day off. They were tasked to get a layout of the whole town, and they were split into groups of threes to make the assignment faster and easier.

Armin was with Jean and Annie. The three of them rode on their horses in silence, going around town while marking notes on a map they were given. They decided to let him handle it, as he was the most efficient when it came to navigation and memorization. Also, it wasn't like they had any other choice -- Annie hated maps, while Jean did not have the patience to understand them.

As they passed by one of the residential areas, a short, chubby woman stepped out of her house, smiling widely. They stopped, and Armin saw Jean stiffen.

"Jean-bo," said the woman. "I knew you would visit!"

The woman walked up to them. "Are you allowed to stay? I cooked your favorite. I made omelet everyday, just in case you arrived, and now you have."

Jean looked down. "You didn't have to, Mom."

His mother turned to them. "Are these friends of yours?"

"Hello, Mrs. Kirchstein, it's nice to meet you," said Armin, smiling.

She beamed at him. "My, I hope my Jean is doing fine. I know he's slightly troubled, but he's okay, believe me. I hope you continue being friends with him."

Armin nodded. "We will. You don't have to worry about him."

"We have to go," said Jean, annoyed. "We're only here for training."

"Oh," said his mother, and her face fell. "Can you wait? I'll just get the food --"

"We have no time," replied Jean, and he moved his horse forward, not looking back.

Armin and Annie followed behind him. Armin glanced back and saw Mrs. Kirchstein still standing there, a sad look over her features.

"What did you do that for, Jean?" he asked. "Your mother was --"

"It's none of your business," he replied gruffly.

"But she's your mother," he reminded him. "I'd be glad to see my mom, if I were you."

"Then who don't you go and visit her then?" said Jean angrily.

"I would, if she were still alive."

Jean opened his mouth, then promptly closed it. Armin rode past him, so he was in the front, and he saw Annie come up next to him. They were silent for a while until she spoke.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Jean's an insensitive bastard."

"I can hear you, you know!" said Jean from behind them. "I'm sorry, Armin."

He smiled at him. "It's okay. And sorry, too. You were right, it wasn't my business."

Jean nodded. They reached the street where the cadets were supposed to meet, and they hopped down from their horses. As he waited for the others to arrive, Armin sat under the shade of a nearby tree, thinking about his parents. What would they think of him if they saw him now? Would they be proud, because he was doing something to reach his dreams, or would they be worried that he wouldn't come back to them alive? He liked to imagine that they would be both. Armin could see his mother's relieved smile very clearly.

He heard someone flop down on the ground next to him. Annie was gazing at the walls, which looked very far from where they were. Her hair was all tangled, probably messed up by the wind hitting her face while she was riding, but it still made him breathless. He seemed to be having those moments a lot lately -- being taken away by the mere sight of her. It was a weird feeling, but pleasant too at the same time.

They did not say anything to each other. She seemed to sense his initial discomfort, and she didn't force herself into his solitude. They simply sat there, their shoulders brushing, and Armin felt his eyes drooping…

"Apologize to her!"

Armin jerked awake. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. He searched for the sound of the voice and found Connie -- who was the one who had shouted -- and Sasha facing off against Jean, who looked really pissed. Annie was still sitting beside him, watching the fight unfold.

"What happened?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Dunno. I wasn't really paying attention until they started yelling at each other."

They looked on as Commander Pixis suddenly arrived and tried to put a stop to it. But it was obvious that Sasha and Jean weren't going to back down at any moment, so the Commander presented a solution.

"How about we decide this with an old-fashioned cook-off?" he said, grinning. "Ahh, yes. That would be perfect! Tomorrow night, you two will face each other in front of the whole class in an ultimate showdown of delicacies. Go form a group, and give me the best dish you could whip up!"

With that, the Commander left. It wasn't a surprise when Sasha gained Connie and Reiner's aid. Vowing to defeat him, Sasha and her group waltzed off, leaving Jean alone to look for team mates.

Armin felt bad for Jean. He walked up to his friend, putting his hand to his shoulder. Jean turned aroun to look at him. Armin glanced at Annie before saying, "Don't worry, Jean, we'll help you."

Annie was incredulous. "What? Why would we do that?"

"We are part of his group in the first place," he responded. "It's our duty."

Annie did not look convinced. She crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Come on, Annie," he pleaded. "It would be fun."

She sighed, relenting. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

They worked hard that day, sharing ideas on how to create the best dish. They all agreed that meat would be the best option, and they ventured into the forest to hunt for the infamous colossal boar. However that plan didn't go well for them -- Sasha's team had captured the boar before they can.

The three of them watched along with the other recruits as Sasha paraded the boar around town, confidently announcing their upcoming victory.

Desperate, Jean told them his plan to steal some meat from the storeroom that night.

Armin was horrified. "What? I can't do that! I'm not good at these kinds of things, Jean. I can't even stop myself from giggling with too much excitement when Eren, Mikasa and I played hide and seek when we were children --"

He noticed Annie suppressing a laugh.

"We'll get caught," he said. He was ranting now. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it!"

Armin turned tail and ran. He ran up the steep stairs and with too much panic, tripped and fell -- he screamed louder than what could be considered dignified.

Armin spent the night in the infirmary. His leg was broken, so he told Jean, who was sitting next to his bed, that he couldn't continue anymore.

"I'm sorry," he concluded.

"I'm out, too," announced Annie.

"What?" said Jean. "But I thought you wanted to join the Military Police?"

"I do," she replied. "But it's not worth it."

Armin felt bad again. He wanted to help Jean, he really did, but aside from the fact that he wouldn't be able to properly assist him with a broken leg, Sasha and her team had all the advantage: meat, skill, and cooperation. There was just no way they could win.

The next day, Armin went out of the infirmary even if he hadn't't fully recovered yet. He decided to go to the competition and at least give Jean some much needed moral support. On his way to the venue, he bumped into Annie, who looked like she was in a hurry.

"Armin?" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"I'm here to help Jean," he replied.

"Idiot."

"How about you?"

"I was going to visit you. But I guess now I have no choice but to join you, huh?"

He smiled at her. "Yup."

She sighed, and they made their way to the kitchens, where they found Jean sitting by the counter, looking glum. He looked up when they entered, raising his eyebrows.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"To help you, of course," said Armin. "Now what do we do?"

An hour later, they found themselves presenting the strangest dish ever: a simple, homemade omelet. Pixis looked shocked when they served it before him, but he smiled after taking a bite. Armin could see him enjoying it, though he doubted whether it was better than the pork Sasha's group had made. So he was pleasantly surprised when the Commander declared Jean the winner, stating that Sasha had been blinded by her confidence in meat, whatever the hell that meant.

Still, the night ended pretty well, if he might say so himself. As the cadets all gathered around to share what was left of the boar, Armin found himself going to Annie, who was telling Mina to go on and get her food. Once her friend was gone, she turned to him.

"So we won," she said flatly.

"We won," he confirmed. "Although it was Jean who did all the work."

She looked at Jean, who was patting the back of an upset-looking Sasha. "You're right. We were just there for display."

He laughed. "You're a pretty display."

Annie raised her eyebrows at him. Armin realized what he had said, and it made him blush fiercely. Trying to salvage the situation, he quickly said, "Um, did you know that --"

"Seriously, Arlert? You always give trivias in the most awkward moments."

"Sorry."

"It's fine," she said, smiling slightly. She looked up and saw a streak of light cross the night sky.

He saw it, too. "Make a wish."

"Huh?" she said.

"They say shooting stars grant wishes," he explained.

"Oh," she said. "What did you wish for, then?"

Armin smiled mysteriously. Annie simply scoffed, but she didn't push him. They stood there, side by side, as the sounds of laughter and singing swirled around them.

 **Armin now thought back on his wish that day. It was simple really -- all he wanted was for that night to get a little longer. Why he had wished for that, he did not know. All he knew was that he thought of Annie as someone way out of his league, and spending time with her was just so surreal that he wanted it to last for a while.**

 **In hindsight, his wish did come true. They spent time together -- happy times -- but like he wished, it was only for a while. He should have asked for forever, he thought with regret.**


	10. Chapter Ten - 1

AN: Early update! So, chapter ten would be split up into two — maybe even three — parts, because it will be quite long. This is the trial for Annie's custody paired with flashbacks of the Trost arc, and I need to carefully lay it out. Don't worry, I'll try to upload the whole Chapter Ten parts today (it is my dad's birthday, so I cannot promise anything), so that you could read them all in one piece. Anyway, this chapter is inspired by The Script's "Howl at the Moon."

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Isayama deserves all the glory.

Chapter Ten (1)

 **This was it. Today was the day. Armin wiped his sweaty palms furiously off his pants, trying to calm his nerves. He stood on one of the balconies inside the courtroom, with Jean on his right and Mikasa to his left. Eren wasn't there; he still hadn't fully recovered yet, and the Commander did not want to take any chances. Some were still cynical about him being a Titan, after all, despite his efforts to help the military. The Commnder thought it best to keep him out of the public eye for now.**

 **That was just how people were, thought Armin, scared of what they cannot understand. That only made him fear for today's trial even more.**

 **The courtroom was jam-packed with spectators. Citizens of Wall Sina -- and a few from Rose, as well -- were all lined up on the upper balconies, with the soldiers from the Garrison and public officials placed below them. Armin and the rest of the Survey Corps stood on the right side of the courtroom, facing the Military Police. Commander Erwin was at the front, along with Hange, Levi, and the other veterans of the squad. He saw some of his friends gathered at the far corner of the room, waiting. Sasha waved at him and Christa offered a reassuring smile.**

 **Armin lifted his gaze towards the ceiling, where a painting depicting mankind's previous wars was in place. He saw bare-chested guys thrusting spears on their fellow men, blood spilling from their guts and into the ground. He could only imagine the scene all too well. He, too, had seen so much blood.**

Armin, Annie, Mikasa, Reiner, Franz, Marco and Jean were busy oiling the cannons and doing an inventory on the remaining sharpnel. It was part of their weekly tour of the wall, and this time, they were split into groups in order to occupy the wall's different sections.

"I don't get why we have to do this," complained Jean, as he checked one of the cannons, "I'm not joining the Garrison, anyway."

"It's for emergency measures," Armin explained to him. "Everyone should know how to use these because who knows who'll be on the front lines when the Titans suddenly attack. We can't wait for the Garrison to come running. You must be ready to defend the wall at a moment's notice -- and these cannons will be your first weapons."

"Ah," said Jean. "But still."

"Maybe next time you should use your head first before you start opening your mouth," said Annie dryly.

"Hey!"

"Annie was just joking," Marco intervened, shooting the blond a small smile. "Right, Annie?"

Annie gave him one of her trademark glares before going back to work. Armin laughed softly on the look on Marco's face, and Reiner and Franz can't help but to join in.

"You shouldn't have tried to act so friendly towards her, Marco," said Reiner. "She's cold, that one."

"Stop the chitchat and finish your tasks," reminded Mikasa. She kept on looking at the far end of the wall. Armin knew why -- that was where Eren and his group were.

"Of course," replied Jean. "We --"

His voice was drowned out by a loud, booming sound. It was like thunder, but more powerful and nerve-wracking. Armin felt chills ran up and down his spine. He knew that sound…he was there when humanity had last heard it…

 _No,_ he thought. _Now?_

His suspicions were confirmed when they saw a large, skinless head popping over the middle section of the wall, where the gate was located. The Colossal Titan. He had appeared, just like five years ago.

"Eren…" whispered Mikasa. "He's there."

She ran toward the massive creature. Armin called her back, but it was no use -- she was too determined to reach Eren. Without thinking twice, Armin followed her, despite his friends' protests.

"Go back to HQ!" he instructed them. "They need to know the situation. I'm pretty sure the retreat order would be issued soon, and the Garrison will take over. I'll just find Mikasa and the others!"

"But--" said Franz, but Reiner stopped him.

"He's right," he said. "Let's go."

Armin ran. He heard light, swift footsteps catching up to him. He did not have to look to know that it was Annie. He turned to her, shaking his head, but he did not say anything. There was no point in arguing with her; she was stubborn when it came to the things she wanted to do. Besides, it was reassuring to have her by his side.

When they reached their destination, though, only Mikasa was there. There were no signs of the Colossal Titan or the others, and the only proof that they were there were the marks left by their ODM gears on the wall and the gaping hole that was once the gate to Wall Rose.

"Mikasa!" he said, as he and Annie caught up with her. "Where are they?"

"I don't know," she replied.

Annie gazed at the HQ. "They probably went back. The order should have been given by now. We should, too. The others would be waiting for us."

Mikasa looked at her, as if she had just noticed Annie's presence for the first time. Armin thought she was going to snap at her or something, but his friend simply nodded her approval. Together, the three of them swung back to the Headquarters, dread filling up Armin's heart and mind with every minute that passed.

 _It was happening all over again. Just like five years ago._

The recruits gathered at the supply storage room, anxiously waiting for orders. They were told to fill up their gas tanks, and Armin tried to do his. However, his hands were shaking so badly that he could hardly put the hose into the gas opening. The metal made clacking noises as he tried desperately to steady his breathing. It did not work.

He felt a hand on his arm. "Armin, calm down."

He looked up to see his best friend, Eren, with a level stare. So he was safe, after all. Armin felt relieved, but he still can't stop the trembling. He started ranting, telling him all about how there was no time to dig up the large boulder and seal the wall, and how the Titans would probably invade Wall Rose and capture the town just like five years ago.

"Armin, calm down," repeated Eren, as Mikasa watched the scene play out. "That will not happen. We're stronger now. We're soldiers, so there's no time for worrying. We will win, can you understand me?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I'm sorry."

They left him to prepare their 3D maneuver gears, and Armin closed his eyes and replayed Eren's words in his mind. He was right -- they were soldiers now, so he can't let his fears overwhelm him. He successfully filled up his gas tanks, and he fit his blades into their places as he walked out to meet the rest of the 104th.

"You may just be recruits, but we're putting you into the line of duty. We need all the soldiers we can get to defend Wall Rose, or the tragedy from five years ago will repeat itself," announced Garrison Commander Felman. "The Colossal Titan had breached the wall, so the Armored Titan could appear any minute now, just like before. We expect you to defend Trost no matter what, and remember that deserters would be executed on the spot."

He looked at them one by one with those sunken eyes before continuing. "Please be informed that the front rear guards had been all wiped out. We have our backs against the wall, so do the tasks assigned to you with all your heart and mind. Now, go, cadets!"

The 104th scattered, and Armin nodded his goodbye to Mikasa, silently wishing her luck as she made her way to Eren. Armin walked up to Mina and the rest of the squad where he was assigned to, waiting for Eren to finish his talk with Mikasa. He was their unofficial leader.

Thomas inclined his head in acknowledgement when he saw him, but he did not say anything. The others were all quiet, too, their expressions ranging from fear to hopelessness. Armin knew the feelings all too well.

"You will live. What do you think those three years of training was for, huh? We had enough brushes with death that time, and some actually died, but we're still here aren't we? You are going to survive this, and you will join the Military Police like you wanted to!" Eren shouted.

The cadets all stared at him, including Armin. His friend had a way of encouraging others, and he saw that it was effective. The 104th started to pick up their gears and move, however scared they may look. As the gang slowly came back to their senses, Annie came up to him, saying, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," he said.

They found a quiet spot away from the others. He faced her, and for once, he saw that Annie's impassive look was gone, replaced by a subtle touch of worry. She fidgeted with her hands, her brows furrowed.

"It's going to be chaotic out there," she started. She stared at him. "I know you're not suit up for fighting, but please, fight if you still can. Use your gas supply to the minimum, and do not let your blades get dull -- replace them if you must. Use your brain; it will be your best weapon. It will get you out of a tight spot."

He felt a warm feeling spreading out from his chest to the very tips of his fingers.

"Do not engage in combat unless necessary. We are just reinforcements, after all, not combatants. Stay put and wait for orders. If they say retreat, you retreat." she continued, as the strange feeling filled him up, threatening to spill over.

"Also, stick to Eren. He may not be much, but he will keep you safe. He's --"

She was stopped short by Armin's sudden embrace. He did not know what made him do it. Armin took a sudden step forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. For a moment he was afraid that she was going to judo-throw him, but after a few, tense seconds her whole body relaxed against him and she returned the favor.

"Stay alive," she said, her voice muffled by his hair.

He laughed. "That seems like my specialty."

They pulled back, and she watched as he made his way back to his group.

"Had some last minute goodbyes?" asked Thomas, a knowing smile on his face.

"You didn't see that," said Armin.

"See what?" his best friend teased. Eren looked around their group. "We didn't see anything, did we? Its not like you and Annie were hugging --"

"Just focus on the mission," he told them, his cheeks pink.

They made their way to the rooftops overlooking the bell tower. As they stood there, Mina said, "Let's make this a contest on who could kill the most Titans!" They nodded, lighthearted, and Armin thought that maybe things really were different now.

"34th squad, you're requested to give back up to the rear guards!" shouted a soldier near them.

"Let's go!" yelled Eren, and shouting for their lives, they attacked.

Armin did not expect things to go down so quickly, though. As they swung around the bell tower, an Abnormal jumped up to meet them, its mouth open in anticipation. Armin barely managed to dodge it, and he landed on a rooftop with the others. They stared at the Titan, who had his arms wrapped around the tall structure. As it tilted its head to look at them, they saw that it had Thomas trapped between its teeth. They gasped; Armin felt sick as the Titan swallowed their friend in one gulp and walked away. Just like that.

"How dare you!"

Eren, enraged, went after the Abnormal, shouting obscenities along the way. Armin, seeing no other choice, followed him. The others trailed after them, and Armin should have known that it wasn't going to go well.

As Eren swung too low, a Titan jumped up and bit off his leg, sending him flying off the rooftops. Bricks fell everywhere. Armin stopped on a house across from him, shouting his name.

His head turned when he heard a scream. A Titan pulled at Mina's grapple hook, and she hit her back to a stone column with a loud crunch. The Titan picked her up and crushed her with its hands. Armin was horrified. What is going on? The others were all being devoured before him, their desperate cries for help bouncing off his ears. _Why_? _Why am I simply watching as my friends die?_

A bearded Titan picked him up by the collar, lifting him up into the air and into its open jaws. He can't seem to control his body. His arms and legs refused to move, and his brain shut down. He felt numb. Eren…Mina…Thomas…

 _I'm sorry, Annie_ , he thought. _I can't fight_. _I can't do it._

As he slid down the Titan's tongue, screaming, all he could think about was how dull his life had been. He never even got to go outside the walls.

Someone suddenly grabbed his arm. He looked up, surprised, and saw Eren hanging onto him, his other hand keeping the Titan's mouth from closing down on them. With a loud yell, he pulled Armin out, as he remained where he was.

"Armin…" he said, his bloodshot eyes boring into his. "Because you showed me… I want to go to the outside world…"

Armin blinked. Their dream. He remembered it well; he and Eren made a promise to each other to see the ocean someday, but how could they do it if he's dead? Feeling a sudden surge of strength, Armin held out his hand.

"Eren, hurry --"

The Titan's mouth clamped shut, chopping Eren's outstretched arm, which fell to the streets. Armin felt tears rolling down his eyes as he screamed and screamed and screamed…

 **Armin was pulled back into the present by the banging of a gravel. Darius Zackly sat on the judge's chair, his eyeglasses perched precariously on his nose. He cleared his throat, pulling out a file from his folder.**

 **"We are here today to decide the fate of the Female Titan, also known as Annie Leonhardt, who is currently encased in a crystal. The trial will decide who will gain custody over her." he explained. "Let us begin by hearing the Survey Corps's opening statement."**

 **Commander Erwin Smith nodded, and opened his mouth to speak.**

 **As he made his speech, Armin could only remember the blood and carnage that surrounded him that day, the feeling of having lost his best friend, of utter hopelessness. Hange's voice came back to him. _They would persecute you,_ she had said during their meeting. _They would use your relationship with Annie against us, so be prepared._**

 **Armin held his head high. He was not going to back down now. They could throw everything they had at him, but he wasn't letting them get their hands on Annie. He had faced worse things than this, and he was ready.**


	11. Chapter Ten (2)

AN: So here's the second part of Chapter Ten. I'm now sure that a third part would be in order, since I don't want to squeeze in everything in here; I could shorten the narrative, but I don't want to compromise the story, so yeah. Please bear with me. Hahaha.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. If I did, I'd have released a hundred episodes already.

Chapter Ten (2)

 **"I, Erwin Smith, Thirteenth Commander of the Survey Corps, is requesting this humble court to give us custody over Annie Leonhardt. We think that if she ever gets out of her self- imprisonment, the Survey Corps would be able to get answers from her, not to mention study her in the hopes of getting information about the other Titan Shifters," said Commander Erwin, his voice even, "She would also be a good addition to Eren Jaeger, whose Titan abilities had proven to be a great advantage. Together, they could make our recapturing of Wall Maria much easier, and not to say, more possible."**

 **Armin, who was listening to the Commander's opening statement, stopped short on his last sentence. Together? His gaze turned to Hange, who seemed to be bouncing with excitement. The Survey Corps were planning to make Annie join their side? His mind buzzed. He was absolutely sure that they would kill her after the interrogation, but as the Commander had stated, that was not the case.**

 **He wondered whether Captain Levi gave his consent to this. Humanity's Strongest did not react on his Commander's speech, but merely looked at the Military Police with a cold and calculating stare. Armin did not know what he was thinking; he wanted his revenge, so why was he letting Erwin let Annie get off the hook?**

 **Murmurs of apprehension filled the room like hissing fires, soft at first, and then loud, until Armin's head was throbbing. His confusion was short-lived, though. Before he could think of anything else, Zackly banged the gravel once more, shifting the whole court's attention to him.**

 **"And now, for the opening statement of the Military Police," he said in a deep voice, turning to the people on his left, who were all wearing jackets with the unicorn insignia.**

 **A tall, dark-haired man stepped forward. "I am Commander Nile Dok of the Military Police. I want to tell everyone here that first and foremost, Annie Leonhardt -- the Female Titan -- was under my command. She was a part of the MP, and shall therefore be kept here. We would make sure that she receives the proper punishment for her crimes, after we of course squeeze out every useful information we could get from her. We will see to it that her victims get the justice that they deserve, as the Survey Corps clearly will not."**

 **"We never said that we would let her go unscathed," said Erwin. "But we're failing to see the larger picture here -- having Annie will change our chances of defeating the Titans drastically. We could now have our own Titan Vanguard with her and Eren on the front lines."**

 **"Let a Titan join the military? Well that sounds familiar," said Nile Dok sarcastically. "We already let the Jaeger boy get away, and look at what happened. Stohess is destroyed, and your expedition wasn't even a success!"**

 **"Why you --" said Mikasa, but Levi stopped her.**

 **"Wait," he said. "Let the Commander handle it."**

 **Armin was now aware of the hundreds of eyes scrutinizing the symbols etched on their jackets: the wings of liberty, representing the Survey Corps. The citizens of Wall Sina nodded their agreement on Nile Dok's statement, making Armin's fists clench. He knew that the MP would rely on the public's sympathy, and even though he hated it, he had to admit that it was a clever trick.**

 **"Nile, would you say that we were better off if Eren Jeager had been killed like you wanted to?" asked Erwin, raising his eyebrows.**

 **"Well --" said Nile, but he was cut off by someone else speaking**.

 **"Yes," answered Pastor Nick. "That boy has caused us more trouble than good. Accepting a Titan into society -- despicable! We built these walls to keep the Titans out, and yet you let them in right into our very homes! You dumb soldiers have been taking the reigns for far too long already, and it is about time that we do something about it.** "

 **Armin watched as the Survey Corps members glared at the preacher, who backed away into his people from fright. His accusation was ridiculous, but Armin knew that with the recent events, the people had no choice but to believe him. They were still scared, and fear was not something you could drive away quickly.**

It was raining. Drops of water fell down from the sky and into the streets, filling the air with the smell of wet pavement. Armin pretended that that was all there was. He sat on a rooftop, alone except for his thoughts. The scene of Eren getting eaten by a Titan played in his head over and over again, and he felt numb. Hollow. Cold.

The soft pattering of rain helped clear Armin's mind. He felt his heartbeat slow down with the steady rhythm, a quiet thump, thump, thump in his chest. He closed his eyes, thinking that maybe all this was just some sick, twisted dream he'd eventually wake from, and when he did, he'd see Eren and Mikasa looking down on him with smiles on their faces.

He opened his eyes. His friends weren't there. Nobody was there. Trost was eerily silent. Steam rose from the Titans' corpse like fog, causing his vision to blur, and Armin thought that if a Titan were to suddenly grab him, he wouldn't be able to dodge it. Not that he had the will to do it, either.

Someone landed in front of him. He gazed up to see Connie, who was looking at him with concern. He was soaked from head to toe. He was asking him something, but Armin can't quite register what he was saying. Connie turned to his companions for help-- Christa and Ymir were both standing at the edge of the roof, their blades out.

"Armin, are you okay? Where are the others?" prodded Connie.

He opened his mouth to speak, but found out that he couldn't utter a single word.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Ymir. "Everyone's dead. He's the only one left in his group. A shame, really, the weak one being the last man standing."

"Hey, watch your words!" shouted Connie angrily.

"We're sorry," said Christa quickly. Tentatively, she turned to Armin. "Can you stand?"

Connie walked over to where he was and offered him his hand. The sight triggered a memory inside him: that of Eren doing the same thing five years ago, when he had helped him from the bullies. Armin felt a fresh wave of sorrow wash over him.

"I'm fine," he said absentmindedly, "I'll regroup with the others."

Before any of them could say anything, he went off, not really having any real destination in mind. He just wanted to get away from their pitying looks, away from the sad rooftop, away from here.

 _This is hell,_ he thought, as he saw the dead bodies littered around Trost, _This is hell._

His grappling hook failed to connect with the side of a building, and Armin went plummeting downwards, his whole body flung from the air and into the wet streets. He sat up, grunting, and looked up to see Hannah kneeling beside a body across from him.

"Armin, help me," she begged, once she saw him approach. "Franz -- Franz isn't breathing!"

"Hannah," he said in an emotionless tone, "he's dead."

"No!" she shook her head. "Armin, please, if we could just --"

"Forgive me, Hannah," he replied, as he looked at Franz's pale face. "But he's gone."

Hannah sobbed. Her cries felt like a stab to his chest, and just when he thought that he couldn't feel any more pain, he was proven wrong by his own heart. All of his friends dead, and for what?

He started to think about the others -- Mikasa, Reiner, Jean, Marco….and Annie. He feared for their safety. Where they alright? Was she alright? He hoped she was. Annie was strong and capable, so her chances of getting out of here alive was pretty high. But then again, wasn't Eren just like that, too? The image of his best friend's face brought a new batch of tears in Armin's eyes, and he turned away from Hannah, running down a deserted alley.

He ran and ran and ran. He cannot distinguish the rain from his tears anymore. He turned a corner, and shot his hooks. He swung up, only to hit someone in midair.

"Armin!" said Reiner in a surprised voice. He turned his head to a nearby roof and shouted, "I found him!"

Faces appeared from the ledge. He saw the remaining members of the 104th all gathered there, their expressions ranging from relief to sheer trauma. Armin felt them staring at him, probably waiting for an update, but he simply walked over to the far end of the roof, not saying a word as he sat down. He caught a glimpse of himself in his blade's shiny surface, and he can't help but notice the sunken look in his eyes.

"Armin?"

Annie. She knelt next to his side, and her relief in seeing him was obvious. Before he could fully realize the situation, she had already pulled him in to a half-hug, her one arm wrapped around his neck, her lips close to his ear. Having her this close to him gave him only one impression -- she was alive.

Annie broke away before he could even raise his arms. She studied him, looking for any signs of injuries, and nodded her approval when she saw that he was good. However, she noticed the way he stared aimlessly into the sky, and how he did not seem to have the energy to move or speak.

"Armin," she said in a gentle voice. "What happened?"

He can't do it. Not now. Not when it was supposed to be Eren who was here and not him. He stared into her blue eyes, much like his own, and knew that no matter how much he wanted to, he could never tell her. As she placed her hand over his, he can't stop the sudden flow of emotions overwhelming him.

He suddenly cried. Hot liquid ran down his cheeks as she pulled him to her, resting his head on her shoulder where he continued to sob. He knew he was getting her hoodie soaked through, but Annie did not seem to mind. The other cadets vanished around him, and he pretended that it was only him and Annie, and nothing else, living in this cruel world.

As Armin clutched her arms for balance, he thought about something else that he was not willing to tell her. He was scared. Scared of the future, scared of the Titans, scared of living.

When he had calmed down, Annie left him to discuss their situation with the others. As he sat there, he thought about the way he had acted, and he felt embarrassed. He must have looked pathetic, with him breaking down and crying in front of everyone around him. Armin took in a shaky breath, trying to collect his thoughts, but the world just can't seem to give him any break.

Mikasa appeared in their midst, looking frantically for Eren. _Oh no. Mikasa. How would I be able to face her?_

"Armin, are you hurt?" she asked him.

He shook his head, avoiding her gaze.

"Okay," she said. She turned her head from side to side. "Where's Eren?"

It was too much for him to bear. He told her everything, from the deaths of his comrades to Eren's final, heroic deed. Mikasa paled. He expected her to shout at him, to take out her blades and start gutting out every Titan in sight, but all she did was pull him up and walk confidently toward the roof's edge.

"We're taking back the armory," she announced. The cadets looked at her with skepticism. "I am strong. Far too strong. Stronger than all of you. I will go back to the armory and fight alone if I have to. All I know is that I wouldn't want to be a coward like the rest of you. If you don't fight, you can't win."

She flew off, fast and graceful. The recruits exchanged nervous glances, until Jean said, "Her and her way with words. I don't know about you all, but I am definitely not a coward."

He followed after her, with Connie and the rest not far behind him. Armin felt a renewed sense of hope spark in his chest, and for once, he realized that sitting there a d accepting his death was a poor way of repaying Eren for his sacrifice. Besides, his other best friend was out there fighting for her life, and he couldn't let her down.

As he readied himself to follow, he turned toward Annie, who was waiting for him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "It's fine. I understand. It's just that…" she looked at him. "I'm glad you're alive."

He nodded, and together they set off toward HQ.

 **Armin remembered how scared he was that day. He knew the effects of fear on someone's view, so he couldn't blame the citizens for feeling that way around Eren, and especially Annie.**

 **As the Pastor, Military Police, and Commander Erwin argued, Darius Zackly waved his hand to silence them. The three looked at him as he read something from a piece of paper he held.**

 **"We have gathered reports that would help us solve this," he said. "This is a report from a certain Miss Hitch from the Military Police. Is she here?"**

 **A petite girl with shoulder-length, gray hair raised her hand. "That's me."**

 **"Miss Hitch, you are a room mate of Annie Leonhardt's?"**

 **"Yes, I am."**

 **"Based on your report, Annie had deep connections with the Survey Corps. So deep, in fact, that you are sure they would let her roam free, or even escape, once she is released from that crystal. Is that correct?"**

 **"Yes," she nodded eagerly. "Annie has allies within the Survey Corps."**

 **"That is not true," piped up Jean. "If she did, why did she kill our batch mates then? Annie had no friends inside the Survey Corps -- she even left to join the MP. She wasn't close to anyone."**

 **"Maybe not to you," countered Hitch. She pointed a finger at Armin. "But to him, she was."**

 **Whispers broke out across the courtroom. This was it. This was what Hange had warned him about.**

 **"What is your name, soldier?" asked Zackly, peering at him from over his glasses.**

 **"Armin Arlert, sir."**

 **"And is it true? What she said?"**

 **What was he going to say? Yes, I was in love with Annie, or no, I don't even know her? No matter what, he knew cannot deny her. He was spared from making a decision when Hitch pulled out a wad of envelopes from her jacket pocket.**

 **How did she get that? Armin looked on as she handed them to Zackly, who studied the letters one by one.** **He was scared again. Those letters contained so much. Erwin, Hange and Levi turned to him, and he knew he should have told them. Those were letters he sent to Annie back when he was in his first expedition.**

 **How Hitch knew about the two of them, he had no idea, but all he knew was that whatever was written on those papers were the short, sad summary of what** **they once were.**


	12. Chapter Ten (3)

AN: And here's the last part of Chapter Ten, everyone! Wohoo! Anyway, I realized that I still haven't properly thanked you all, so now I'm just going to take the chance and tell you that you are all awesome. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and hitting the favorite button. You don't know how encouraging it is to hear from you, so once again, thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. I can draw, but I can't do manga, if you know what I mean.

Chapter Ten (3)

 **Darius Zackly shuffled the letters in his hands. He picked one out randomly and opened it, carefully sliding out the piece of paper from the envelope. Armin could see the words 'Annie Leonhardt' scribbled at the back of each one in his neat, cursive handwriting, and he thought back to the days when he used to write those things with so much enthusiasm.**

 **Everyone watched as the Supreme Commander read. Armin looked away; he did not want to relive his and Annie's past right now, but he had no choice. Here was a better place than anywhere else. Besides, he could use his relationship with Annie as an advantage, if he could just pull the right strings. But how?**

 **"Hmm," said Zackly, putting the letter down. "Interesting. Say, Arlert, what exactly is your affiliation with Annie Leonhardt?"**

 **"We were from the same class, sir," he answered, and he was surprised to hear his voice sound so steady despite the loud banging of his heart. "We were friends. Close friends."**

 **"I see," he said. "But according to Miss Hitch's statement and the contents of this letters, it seems like you two were more than just -- as you put it -- close friends."**

 **Armin gulped. He looked at Annie's former room mate, who was smiling smugly, and now understood why Annie hated her so much. She often complained about Hitch in her letters, and back then Armin thought that she was just not used with being around new people, but now he knew that he was wrong -- Hitch was one cunning girl.**

 **Now that he thought about it, it was pretty obvious how she got her hands on those letters. Hitch had complete access to Annie's drawers, and when she had been captured, she probably stole those and showed them to the Military Police.**

 **"Well, soldier?" asked Nile Dok. "Do you deny having connections with the Female Titan?"**

 **"No, I don't deny it," he answered.**

 **Nile smiled. "Ahh. See? This boy has clearly confessed that he was in close cohorts with a Titan. How can we be certain that he won't try to break her free from her crystal and let her escape?"**

 **"That's foolish," said Hange. "Armin would never do such a thing."**

 **"But how can we be so sure?" asked a man from the spectators. "What if he was a Titan Shifter, too?"**

 **"Not this again," muttered Mikasa. "These stupid, assuming bastards."**

 **"We can assure you that Soldier Arlert is not a Titan Shifter." said Commander Erwin.**

 **"But how could you know?" chirped a skeptical voice from the crowd. "The Female Titan managed to fool us for almost four years; who's to say that he's not just pretending to be human, now?"**

 **Cries of assent rose up from the balconies. Armin was holding on to the railings too tightly that his knuckles turned white. His patience was running thin. The past few days were hell to him, and he did not know whether he could keep on his good soldier mask any longer. He was about to burst, and he could not let that happen. Annie's life was on the line -- he can't just abandon her. He had abandoned her once, in that fateful day at Stohess, and he was not about to repeat it.**

Mikasa ran out of gas and fell. She flipped over in the air before hitting her back on a roof and rolling down into the streets below.

"Mikasa!" Armin yelled. He switched directions, so instead of heading towards the HQ, he was going straight for her.

"Jean, lead the others! I'm coming with Armin!" shouted Connie from behind him.

The two of them swung from house to house, looking for any signs of Mikasa. He did not see where she had landed, which made the search all the more difficult. He just wished he wasn't too late. She had a nasty fall, so he assumed that she had at least several broken bones, and that would make it hard for her to move properly if a Titan suddenly attacked her.

"Mikasa!" he called out.

No response. Armin was getting anxious as minutes passed by without them seeing any trace of ebony hair. He could hear Titan's screaming not too far from where they were, and he vaguely wondered if the reinforcements had arrived and where finally picking them off one by one.

A roar managed to break through the noises around them, echoing in the still, afternoon air. Armin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand -- there was just something so familiar with that sound, something he can't quite put his finger to.

He spotted Mikasa the same time Connie did. She was sitting on a secluded alley near a dumpster, her broken blades still in hand, but she wasn't using them. In fact, she looked quite shocked. Armin swooped in and grabbed her, bringing her onto a rood with him.

"Everyone okay?" asked Connie, who landed next to them.

"Where fine," he replied.

"Good. Now let's go back to Headquarters."

But as he turned to shoot his hooks, a Titan went around the corner and walked to where they were. A second Titan, a fifteen-meter class, with long, unruly hair stepped out to meet it.

"Oh shit. Two Titans." said Connie. "We'll be trapped."

"No," Mikasa pointed at the fifteen meter. "That Titan is different. He doesn't care about us -- look."

They watched as the two Titans faced off. Suddenly, the smaller one lunged, but his adversary simply dodged his attack and followed it up by punching its head off its neck. The Titan's head spun across the air before lodging itself into an old bell tower. Armin shook his head. Was this real?

"Jeez," commented Connie. "Now we really need to get out of here. That's an Abnormal."

"Wait," said Armin. "I've got a plan."

"Okay," sighed Connie. "What is it?"

A few moments later, the three of them came bursting through the windows of Headquarters, their gas tanks barely empty. Connie whooped at their luck, patting Armin on the back while saying, "We made it! Your plan worked!"

"What?" said a very confused Jean.

"Guys, that Titan's an abnormal! It fights other Titans, and it ignores us! Armin made the plan to lure it in here, so it could take down all the other Titans within the vicinity." announced Connie proudly.

Armin felt the other cadets's eyes on him, and he scratched the back of his head nervously. He never thought that his plan would work, but now that it had, he didn't expect them to accept it so easily. After all, even he was weirded out by the strange Titan.

"You're delusional," replied Jean. "That can't be true. Rely on a Titan?"

"Its not delusional," said Mikasa. Everyone turned to her. "You saw it for yourself. Now I know it's a long shot, but we should forget about it now and focus on taking back the supply room."

They all agreed, and they went downstairs to create a plan. Someone laid out the blueprint of the building across the dusty floor, and they gathered around it, thinking of the best way to eliminate the Titans that had infiltrated the storeroom.

"We found these in the back," said Jean. Him and the others were all holding rifles.

"How on earth will that help us defeat the Titans?" someone asked.

Armin could hear the gears turning on his mind. He's right; rifles can't do anything against the Titans. They'd still have to use their dual blades, but now that they were out of gas, they can't really use their 3D maneuver gears to help them move. He looked at the blueprint carefully. Rafters…blades…rifles…

"That will do," he said loudly. "The rifles would be good enough."

"Armin," said Mikasa. "What do you have in mind?"

"Let's say there are about seven three to four meter Titans milling around the supply room," he began, "The rifles would be enough to blind all of them if we all shoot simultaneously. We will bring people down into the supply room using the lift, and they will attract the Titans long enough to shoot them. Are you following what I'm saying?"

The cadets nodded. "Okay. Go on." urged Reiner.

Armin nodded. "While we bilnd the Titans, seven people will jump out from these rafters and slice their napes, effectively killing them. However, be warned that we could only do this once. We need to do this right, or else we won't have another chance."

"Well, looks like this is the best option we have," said Marco.

"It's either we wait here or we do that and fail -- either way, we're dead. So let's just do it." added Annie.

"It's a great plan, Armin. Just have confidence in yourself," said Mikasa.

Armin gave them a grateful smile. "Okay. I want the seven most physically capable people here to do the job."

Armin slung the rifle on his shoulder as he loaded homes into the lift. Mikasa, Annie, Sasha, Reiner, Berthold, Connie and Jean were chosen to kill the Titans, and he couldn't think of anyone else suited for the task. As they slowly descended into the supply room, Armin could only hope that his plan would work.

The Titans noticed them. They dragged their feet to where Armin and the others hung in the air, guns at the ready. As the Titans came to a close distance, they opened fire.

The seven swooped down on them and slashed. Armin saw the Titans fall, all except for two, who tried to eat Sasha and Connie. Good thing Mikasa and Annie intervened, or else they were dead meat. As the Titan's bodies evaporated, the cadets cheered, and some even gave Armin pats on the back. He felt good; he finally did something useful.

They refilled their gas tanks, their victory contributing to their will to live. As Armin adjusted his ODM gear, Annie approached him, smiling slightly.

"That was pretty smart," she said flatly.

"I just did what I had to do," he replied, shrugging.

"Stop being all modest about it. If it hadn't been for you, everyone would still be up there, just waiting to get devoured. You should just take credit for what you did, Arlert."

"What's this?" he said in mock surprise. "One of Annie Leonhardt's infamous words of wisdom?"

She punched him lightly on the arm. "Yes. And I won't even charge you for it."

"You know you're not the joking type, right?"

"Whatever."

They walked out the building, ready to head off into the inner walls, when he saw Mikasa standing on top of a roof, staring at something. He went to her and watched the scene before them. The black haired Titan that had helped them was now being eaten by his fellow giants, and his arms can't seem to regenerate quickly enough to fight them off. Still, he managed to bite one on the nape and send him flying towards the others.

The Titan, exhausted, fell face first onto the ground, smoking. Its nape opened, and slowly, they all saw Eren emerge from the creature, alive and whole. Armin could not believe it. His best friend was back. Eren was alive. Mikasa ran up to him, wrappings him in a fierce embrace. Armin, so reliever at seeing his friend again despite the confusion, took hold of his hand and cried silently.

He had saved him, had been eaten by a Titan before his very eyes, and yet Eren was here with them, apparently unscathed. Armin promised to way that he wouldn't abandon him again, not when he finally came back.

 **As accusations flew around the courtroom, each more ludicrous than the last, Armin can't help but to be overwhelmed. If he learned anything in the Battle for Trost, it was that his mind was his greatest weapon, and that he just had to believe in himself like Mikasa had told him to.**

 **Coming to a decision, Armin stepped forward and raised his voice. "I admit to being acquainted with Annie Leonhardt. She and I were lovers back in our training days, and yes, I sent her letters during our time apart, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine her as a Titan."**

 **"Hah! So you so confess on being her ally!" said Pastor Nick.**

 **"Ally?" he repeated. "If I was her ally, would I have told Commander Erwin her true identity? Yes, I was the one who figured out who she was, and I reported it to the Survery Corps even though she was my girlfriend at that time."**

 **"Irrelevant," Nile said. "So what if you told them her true identity? It would not change the fact that you were romantically involved with the Female Titan, whose fate is being decided by this court right at this very minute! There is no way to prove you are trustworthy enough, and I will not let you blind people take custody over a Titan like her."**

 **"Annie!" shouted Armin, his patience all but ran out.**

 **"What?"**

 **"Her name is Annie. Not Titan Shifter, not Female giant, just Annie." he said through clenched teeth. His friends were all staring at him, shocked at his sudden outburst. "And about my trustworthiness, haven't I proven that already? I was the one who devised the plan to capture her, I was the one who lured her into Stohess, I was the one who betrayed her in order to save mankind! Isn't that proof enough, or are we just gonna ignore that fact, as well?"**

 **Armin addressed the whole courtroom: "And as for the issue of her escaping, I doubt that she would be able to transform in an underground cell, and if she did, Eren would be there to stop her. Also, if Annie ever gets out of that crystal, who better to face her but the Survey Corps, who has a better fighting chance against her? Also, if you're still worried about my relationship with her, you could always use me, you know -- use me as hostage when she threatens to transform."**

 **"And if it doesn't work?"**

 **"Well, then I'd be dead either way. She wouldn't exactly be sentimental after I had just betrayed her, but there is no harm in trying. And if I do get killed, isn't that one less suspicious person to you?"**

 **The whole hall went silent. Armin kept his head up, not wanting to bow down in case the others took notice of it and consider it an act of hesitation on his part. He had to look confident -- in court, there is no room for doubt.**

 **"Well," said Zackly finally. "I think we have reached a decision here. Do you have any objections?" he turned to the preachers and the Military Police.**

 **Command Nile Dok said bitterly, "No."**

 **"Good," said the judge. "I hereby rule that the Survey Corps gain custody over Annie Leonhardt."**


	13. Chapter Eleven

AN: Chapter Eleven! Making a three-part Chapter the last time really exhausted me, but your positive feedbacks helped me get through it, so hell yeah! Anyway, I know that Armin's big moment, the sealing of Wall Maria's gate, and Eren's trial happened before graduation, so don't be surprised if I put the graduation part here first. There's a reason to it, trust me. I don't plan to stray away from the original timeline, as you will see in the next chapters.

On another note, this chapter's song inspiration is Lana del Rey's "Blue Jeans".

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. I can't think of anything witty to say aside from that.

Chapter Eleven

 **Smoke rose up into the air, going way beyond the treetops and into the jet-black sky. Armin followed its course with his eyes, and saw that there were no stars tonight. The tiny, twinkling lights were nowhere to be found, and he felt sad for their absence, because he wanted their company at that moment. He squinted his eyes, hoping for at least one star, but no such luck.**

 **He sighed as he returned his gaze back on the bonfire he'd created. Armin stoked the flames with a sturdy branch, and they rose higher, bathing the surroundings in a soft, orange glow. Kneeling down, he pulled out a stash of letters from inside his jacket pocket. Taking off the rubber band that held them, he studied the pieces of paper with a nostalgic look.**

 **Those were the letters Annie had sent him after they had graduated, when he had ventured outside the walls for the very first time. The feel of the familiar thick parchment in his hand sent a dull ache to his chest, and he pretended that it was the smoke that had caused his eyes to tear up.**

 **When he had told Mikasa and Eren what he was planning to do, they had tried to stop him. They looked at him with a mixture of pity and worry, but Armin had told them that it was for the best. After the trial for Annie's custody, where his relationship with her had come into light, Armin had been the subject of constant gossip and prejudice. He did not blame Annie for what was happening to him, but he knew that if he wanted the people to trust him, he would have to show them that his connections with her were all but gone. He had to let go, something she had once told him to do.**

 **Finally, he pulled one out and separated it from the others. With one last look at the remaining letters, he threw them one by one in the fire, which burned them until they were nothing but a pile of ashes. As the fire crackled, Armin opened the letter he had decided to keep.** **It was the last letter he got from Annie. It was very similar from the rest, except for one very special line at the end. Armin ran his thumb through those three words, smiling. He hugged the letter to his chest, resting it right there over his heart.**

 **Someone put a hand to his shoulder. He turned his head to the side to see Eren standing next to him, staring at the burning letters. Mikasa, who was beside him, gave Armin a comforting smile over her scarf.**

 **"Well that sucks," said Ymir, who had emerged from the trees.**

 **"I guess that's the best way to put it," agreed Connie. "But happy burning, Armin."**

 **Armin looked around to see all of his friends surrounding him, their faces illuminated by the strong flames. They all smiled at him, offering their silent encouragement, and he can't help but to return the favor. He was grateful to have them all there, even if this scene looked awfully similar to that of one year ago, when they supported one another.**

The funeral pyre spew a thick plume of smoke, filling the air with the smell of burning corpses. Armin did not want to be there, did not want to breathe the air infested with his friends' remains, but he can't move away for some reason. He watched as the flames licked over the dead bodies until they were reduced to bones and ashes, and he can't help but to get all choked up.

He came with the others to pay his last respects. Marco, Thomas, Franz and Mina -- all of them died at the Battle for Trost, and they were one of those being cremated. Armin felt depressed over the way his friends had been laid down to rest, but he can't do anything but stand still as they slowly dissolved into nothing.

Armin felt guilty for being relieved that it wasn't him, Mikasa, Eren or Annie that was being mourned. Him and his two best friends could have easily been a part of the death toll if Commander Pixis hadn't intervened.

Yesterday, Commander Felman had threatened to kill the three of them by shooting a cannon through their bodies, after he and the other Garrison members had witnessed Eren emerge from a Titan. Acting out of fear, the Commander had ordered them to be shot down, only to be stopped by Eren's sudden and incomplete transformation. After Armin had talked them down and the plan for sealing the gate had been successful, Eren had been taken away to the Survey Corps under Lance Corporal Levi.

Armin was glad his friend had been acquitted, not to mention been accepted into the Survey Corps, which he had always dreamt about. After tomorrow night's ceremonies were over, Armin would be joining him there. They would be one step closer to their goal.

"I'm sorry," whispered Annie next to him. "I'm sorry."

He turned to her, about to ask what she was asking forgiveness for, but saw that she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were staring aimlessly into the flames, as if she was talking to it. Maybe she was.

Mina. Armin knew she was the only real friend Annie had here in camp, and now she was gone. Annie must be feeling guilty, thinking that she could have done something to save her. Armin tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him, her face still blank.

He did not say anything. He knew she was not one to appreciate pity, so he kept quiet and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze instead. Annie rested her head against his chest, and together they watched as the last embers slowly died out.

"Hey guys," said Jean, gazing at a mound of ash on his palm. "Do you know which branch you're going to choose after graduation? Because I do. I've decided where I'm going to go." he tilted his hand, and the ashes spilled from them. "I'm going to join the Survey Corps."

"What? But Jean, I thought you wanted to join the Military Police?" asked Armin.

"Yeah, but…" he said, trailing off. "I want to honor Marco's death, and the others, too."

Everyone looked at him; they hadn't expected this from anyone, especially not Jean. They all nodded, understanding what he meant and how he felt. Armin had a newfound respect for the guy who would soon be one of his comrades at the Survey Corps.

"I'm joining, too," admitted Connie.

Sasha chirped, "Same here."

Armin saw Annie shaking her head subtly, as if she was thinking about how foolish they all were. He knew Annie would continue on her plan to join the Military Police, but some wishful part of him hoped that maybe she would change her mind if she had heard all of them joining the Survey Corps. Armin cleared his throat, gesturing to his friends.

"It'll be nice to be with you guys," he said.

Sasha nodded happily. "Yup. We're stuck with each other, alright."

When the flames finally went out, the cadets all walked back to their cabins, their hearts heavy with grief but filled with anticipation for tomorrow night's graduation ceremonies. Armin and Annie walked together, their footsteps slow and hesitant, as if they both knew that this was the last time that they would be able to talk to each other.

When they had reached the front of the girls' cabin, they both stopped and stood before the steps as if they were conforming to some script. Annie looked up at him, her face more serious than usual.

"Armin," she said, and the intensity in her voice shook him. "Don't join the Survey Corps."

"Huh?" he said, surprised. "What's this about?"

"Just don't. Go join the Garrison. With your intellect, you could easily become a Commander there, but no matter what, don't choose the Survey Corps."

He shook his head. "No, I won't do that. You know how much I want to be a part of it. I want to see --"

"The outside world," she finished. "I know. But Armin, believe me when I tell you that it's not worth it."

"Since when did chasing after your dream not worth it?" he countered.

Annie faced skyward. She put her hands inside her hoodie's pocket, letting out a sigh. Armin felt like she wanted to tell him something important, but something was holding her back. She continued gazing up at the moon until he finally decided to break the silence.

"Annie, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

She met his eyes, blue against blue, and did something that completely took him off guard -- she stepped forward and kissed him.

Armin was first shocked to feel her lips against his, but quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She placed her hands on his cheeks to keep her balance, as she was standing on her tiptoes.

Annie breathed against his mouth, sending shivers through his whole body. He closed his eyes, savoring her warmth, enjoying the way she smiled into the kiss, thinking about how wonderful it was to be under the stars. What they shared wasn't like anything Armin had ever felt in his life; it was sweet, it was amazing, it was beautiful -- it was bitter.

They pulled back, their foreheads touching. Annie wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, as if she was afraid that he was going to disappear at any moment. She was wrong, though. He wouldn't walk away, not in a million years.

"Annie," he said, not knowing how to the her what he still planned on doing.

"I know you're not going to change your mind," she replied quickly. "But I had to try. I…just don't want you to die."

He stepped back to look at her. "I won't tell you I'm not going to die, because that would be a lie. Surviving would be hard out there, but I'll try everything I can to come back alive, I promise. So until then, will you wait for me?"

Annie smiled softly at him. The moon cast an almost magical light on her face, making her eyes look more shiny than usual. Armin studied her features, memorizing everything from the way her eyebrows lay low over her icy blue orbs to the way her nose stood out from the rest of her face.

She nodded, hugging him for one last time. "I will."

They parted ways that night holding that promise to their hearts, so when graduation came the next day, they were prepared. As Commander Erwin asked the cadets that would join the Survey Corps to remain where they were, Armin only felt a small prick of pain when Annie turned and walked away, ready to take on a new life at the Military Police. He would see her again. He'd be damned if he didn't.

As he stood there with his friends -- all of whom had chosen to join the Survey Corps -- he thought about the kiss he and Annie had shared last night, and he smiled to himself as he stared at the small fire igniting one of the torches.

 **As Armin and his friends walked back to camp, he looked up at the moon hanging in the dark sky, exactly like the one that had witnessed the moment they had that year ago. Armin opened the letter he had spared and reread those three words: _I'm still waiting._**


	14. Chapter Twelve

AN: And I'm back! I know I once said that I'd try updating everyday, and I did for some time, but now I'm pretty busy (Thesis proposals is coming this week!) so I decided to take LunaBloom's — you are awesome, by the way — advice and update maybe once or twice a week. Forgive me, guys. I love you and this fanfic, and don't worry, I am planning to finish this some time soon.

So now let's continue on to Chapter Twelve. This is the penultimate chapter of Part II. Yay! Anyway, the song inspiration for this one is "All I want" by Kodaline.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. If I did, Armin and Annie would be living in a small house near the ocean with hundreds of adorable kids.

Chapter Twelve

 **Three Years Later**

 **Sunlight glinted on the surface of the huge chunk of crystal standing in the middle of the room, reflecting the light on the walls, floor and ceiling like a spectrum. Inside the crystal was a young girl with white-blond hair and closed eyes. Her nose, which often caught people's attention, was overshadowed by the single tear sliding down her face. That tear had been making its way down her cheek for three years now.**

 **Annie was unmoving inside her self-made prison. She was frozen — frozen in time, in age, in beauty. As he gazed at her from his usual spot in front of her crystal, sitting in a wooden chair and book in hand, Armin can't help but to admire her features for maybe the thousandth time since he first came to her three years ago. He visited her almost everyday, reading to her even though he knew that she couldn't hear him. Sometimes, when he was plagued with nightmares about his past, he would come here and talk to her; he would always ask for her forgiveness at the end of these one-sided conversations.**

 **If Annie hadn't changed, it was the opposite for Armin. Three years had really taken its toll on him. He was now taller, with broader shoulders and leaner muscles. He wasn't bulky, or fit, but he was definitely not a walking toothpick anymore. His hair was now longer, brushing way past his shoulders, and he kept it in a half-ponytail. There were some scars running up and down his arms, some faint, some more noticeable, physical evidences of the battles he'd been through.**

 **Today, Armin bought something new with him: the letters he had once sent to Annie. Darius Zackly had returned them to him after a few years of keeping them, stating something about time catching up with him, something that Armin did not understand. Armin did not know why he had given him these letters, which were the cynics' favorite thing to use against him. Yes, after all these years, there were still some who didn't trust him due to his connections with Annie.**

 **"Hey, Annie," he said to the virtually empty room. "Look what I have. It's the letters I sent you. There are plenty of them — I really was a sucker for writing, huh? Oh well, I'm glad you kept all of them, though you should have known better than to store them in a drawer where Hitch could get them, you know?"**

 **Armin laughed gently. He could almost hear Annie saying, _Give a better suggestion then_ _, genius_. That always happened, him imagining Annie's response to his words; in his head her replies were often witty, snappy and frank, exactly like her. There were days when all he could think about was how everything would have been much better if she were still there by his side, encouraging him.**

 **He wanted her back. Not just because she held useful information that might help them defeat the Titans, or that she could certainly track down the other Titan Shifters, but because Armin simply wanted to hear her voice again. Sighing, he opened the first envelope.**

Armin rode alongside Mikasa and Jean. In front of them were Commander Erwin and the rest of the Levi Squad, who had been there during graduation and was now welcoming them to the Survey Corps. They were leading the cadets towards an abandoned castle that they were using as a base outside the walls, and there, Armin and the others would have their six month training before going out into their very first expedition.

He felt so many emotions inside him: excitement, anticipation, nervousness, fear, longing. The last one had something to do with him leaving Annie behind inside the walls, where she was working with the Military Police. He knew she was alright — there was no safer place than Wall Sina, after all. Absentmindedly, Armin's hand crept to his lips, remembering the kiss he and Annie had shared before they parted ways. She had promised to wait for him, and he believed her.

"We're here," announced Petra.

The new members of the Survey Corps slowed down to a trot, admiring the large castle that loomed before them. It had a white façade, high towers, and a rose window. It showed no signs of crumbling, much to Armin's relief. Near the entrance were the stables, its stalls empty save a few horses.

The cadets hopped down from their rides, their legs sore. Armin looked around, searching for Eren, when his best friend suddenly came up to them, smiling widely. Apparently, he had spotted them first.

"Guys, you're here!" he said happily.

"Eren, tell me, did they hurt you?" asked Mikasa urgently, grabbing him by the arms. She glared at the doors of the castle. "That shorty really got you bad. I'll make him pay someday —"

"You mean Captain Levi?" said Eren, referring to the man who had beat him up on his own court trial. Although it was for the best, Armin knew that Mikasa would never forgive him for having so much as touch Eren. "It's fine."

"Eren!" shouted Connie, waving.

Eren's face lit up when he saw almost all of them in the Survey Corps. "Wow guys, you all signed up. So the only ones who joined the MP are Jean, Marco and Annie?"

"No," said a voice behind him.

"Jean?" Eren said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I joined, idiot."

"But why?"

"Marco's dead."

Eren's eyes went wide. Everyone was silent. Armin bowed his head, thinking of their lost friend. Marco, who was always there with a helping hand. He and Armin used to do maintenance together with their ODM gears, so he was pretty close with the guy. Jean scoffed, then turned around, not bothering to explain anything to Eren. It wasn't necessary anyway.

"Okay, line up!" a man shouted, a pile of folded, dark green clothes in his hands. "Your uniforms are here."

They clasped the cloaks around their necks, the symbol of the Wings of Liberty sown proudly on their backs. Armin felt exhilarated; this was it, the moment of truth. They were really part of the Survey Corps now. Armin never imagined himself wearing one of these uniforms one day, but now he was, and he was doing it alongside his closest friends.

"Go and familiarize yourselves with the place, training isn't until tomorrow, so feel free to rest today," said Commander Erwin. "Also, I know you all want to write to your families back in the wall, but supplies won't be coming until next week, so until then, I'm sorry but you have to wait. On the bright side, the supply squad would be delivering the letters from them to you, so you have something to look forward to."

The cadets who still had families waiting for them all smiled with relief. Eren, Mikasa and Armin had no one left, so they didn't really expect to receive anything when the end of the week came.

As they were all eating in the spacious Dining Hall, a messenger came in, shouting the names of the people who had letters for them. Jean received a letter and a homemade omelet from his mother; Connie got one from his family; and even Christa got a thank you message from Daz, who she had saved back on their winter training. The trio continued on with their eating, when the man called out: "Eren Jaeger!"

Eren took the envelope with a confused look. Ripping open the paper, he smiled and met Armin and Mikasa'a inquiring gaze.

"It's from Hannes," he said. The three of them read the contents of the letter, which mostly centered around him asking how they were and reminding them to stay safe.

"Armin and Mikasa, please keep Eren away from trouble," finished Eren. He huffed indignantly. "What's that suppose to mean? I can take care of myself!"

Armin chuckled as the messenger yelled out one last name. "Armin Arlert!" he said loudly, dropping the white, pristine envelope in front of him. The messenger left, his job finally done.

Armin picked up the letter, studying it. In its back, written in an untidy scrawl, was his full name. He turned the envelope over, and saw that a wax seal with the Military Police insignia adorned it. There could only be one person in the MP who would be writing to him.

After dinner, Armin ran as fast as he could to their shared rooms, climbing up his bunk bed in a hurry. Placing a lamp next to his bed, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter that was inside. It read:

 _Dear Armin,_

 _I figured that the supplies would take a while before reaching you, so I took the liberty of writing first. I assume you want to know how I am doing, and to answer you question, I am doing fine. The Military Police Headquarters isn't really a bad place to live in, if you know what I mean._

 _My room is pretty nice, with large windows and a doubled decker bed. I hate my room mate, though. Her name is Hitch, and she's very talkative and lazy. She's always leaving her clothes across the floor, and it's annoying the hell out of me. You must be laughing at me right now, but you know how low my tolerance is for those kind of people._

 _I miss you. I saw a book in one of the Commander's shelves yesterday, and I thought that you'd like it. It's about politics and all that, and it looked boring to me, but I know you'd love to read it. You are fond of boring shit, after all, and I say that as a compliment. I hope you're safe. Write to me once you get the chance._

 _Annie_

Armin smiled, reading the letter over and over again, scanning her handwriting, her words, her tone. He was glad that she had settled in, but he was more glad of the fact that she seemed to be thinking about him, as her reference to the book had suggested. Placing the paper back into its envelope and setting it aside, Armin wrote back, saying:

 _Dear Annie,_

 _First of all, I am fine and well. And yes, you're right, I was thinking about how you were doing. I can see that you've met quite a character in Hitch, and I hope I don't receive a letter saying that you've knocked her teeth out, but if I did, I wouldn't be surprised._

 _We're staying in some old castle not so far from the walls, preparing for our upcoming first expedition. If I heard correctly, we'll be going back to Wall Maria after the six month training before venturing out again. I hope we could meet when we come back, and maybe you could show me that book you told me about if your Commander lends it to you._

 _Yesterday, Ymir and Reiner got into a small argument over who would marry Christa, and I lost a bet after Reiner surrendered before the fight actually started. He's just too nice, I guess, and besides, Ymir was hugging Christa the whole time so he can't really do anything. I wish you were there — it would be so much fun with your dry commentary._ _I miss you, too. Terribly. Hope to see you soon._

 _Armin_

The next week, Armin received an answer from Annie. He read it there and then at the dining hall, hiding it under the table, his head low as he excitedly ran his eyes over the letter.

 _Dear Armin_

 _Reiner is such a wuss. If I were him, I would have flipped Ymir on her back and took Christa to myself. I'd I hadn't known better, I'm sure Ymir is intentionally riling him up. He needs to learn to assert himself, if you ask me. If there was a bet for you, I'd have killed the other contenders by —_

Armin smiled, amused, as the last sentence was obviously crossed out by Annie. She put a line over the words, as if she hadn't meant to write them, but did not have the time to make a new one. Laughing softly, he continued:

 _Anyway, my past week was pretty much uneventful. We do virtually nothing here at the MP aside from occasionally patrolling the streets of Wall Sina. No wonder Hitch chose to be here; she fits the MP perfectly._ _I'm looking forward to the day you return. I'll find a way for us to meet up, maybe inside Wall Maria, since I don't want my comrades here at the MP to see us and bombard me with questions — they're nosy enough as it is._

 _How are the others? What do you exactly do there, anyway? I wish six months would hurry up. I miss talking to you. Everyone here is stupid, I can't take it._

 _Annie_

Armin laughed at that. Eren and Mikasa, who were sitting across from him, gave him curious looks. Armin smiled at them apologetically and turned back to his letter. He was just about to stuff it back into his pocket when someone suddenly snatched it from his hand. Ymir smirked at him, unfolding the paper and scanning it.

Armin had expected her to read it out loud, to embarrass him and laugh at his face, but all she did was give it back to him and shout across the room at Connie: "You owe me one!"

"Aww man," said Connie. "Really?"

"Yup," she replied. "Told you I saw them kissing back at camp."

Everyone in the room, which included some veterans of the Survey Corps and the Levi Squad, turned to Armin, whose face was red. Petra smiled kindly at him, and Oulo even gave him a thumbs-up.

As Connie gave Ymir some precious coins from his allowance, she turned to him and said, "Thanks, Arlert. You and Leonhardt are quite the duo, if I may say so myself."

Armin simply inclined his head. He turned to Eren, who shrugged and smiled as if to say, _I'm cool with it._ Mikasa looked miffed, but she nodded her approval nonetheless.

"You should have told us, though," she said under her breath. "Annie. I don't like her, but I can't say that I didn't saw it coming."

Feeling lighthearted by his friends' acceptance and the not-so-bad reveal of his relationship with Annie to the others, he wrote back to her.

 ** _Dear Annie_**

 ** _Guess what happened today? The Survey Corps found out about us exchanging letters. I didn't mean for them to know, but apparently Ymir and Connie have been betting about us for quite some time now. It's kind of funny, actually — looks like we're not the only ones who are fond of wagers._**

 ** _I feel the same way. Six months just seem to stretch out forever. But still, the wait does make our reunion more special. With regards to your question about our activities, all we do is practices with our ODM gears and clean the mansion under Captain Levi's orders. He's just like you, I think: amazing in combat, not too talkative, a clean freak, and quite short. Don't get angry about the last one; there is nothing wrong with it, because your height suits you perfectly._**

 ** _Hoping to see your face again soon._**

 ** _Armin_**

 **He laughed as he put the letter down. "I remember you writing back to me saying that you'd kick my butt to prove what short people could do."**

 **The room was only dimly lit by the setting sun. The light slanting through the barred window gave the room a harsh, dark red glow. Armin stood up, the chair scraping on the wooden floor, and proceeded to lighting the torches around the room.**

 **"Still no changes?"**

 **He turned around to see Squad Leader Hange leaning against the doorframe, a finger to her chin. She was gazing at Annie's crystal, a wistful smile on her face.**

 **"The sight of her never gets old — no pun intended," she said. She nodded to the wad of envelopes in his hand. "Ahh. Reading to her?"**

 **Hange knew of Armin's frequent visits to the infamous crystal, and she and him were once in charge of studying her before the whole project was put on hold for another expedition. She always had a feeling that the boy had never really let go of Annie, and instead of despising him for it, like the others, it made her sad and amused at the same time.**

 **"Yes," he replied. He walked to her and turned to Annie once more. "Bye, Annie. I'll be back tomorrow."**

 **As Armin and Hange locked the door behind them, a soft, sizzling sound pierced through the silence. A fault stretched from the tip of the crystal to the bottom, with tendrils of white, cold smoke coming out of it.**


	15. Chapter Thirteen

AN: After a week, I'm back! The past few days have been very tiring, but it was all worth it, because we passed our thesis proposals (after being totally roasted by the panel)! Booyah! So now I have some free time before I once again plunge into the world of academics.

Anyway, thank you to TheCrazyAnimeFan01 for leaving a review. It's always nice to have new readers — it gives me so much joy. So, not to break tradition, this chapter is inspired by a song, and it is the acoustic version of Taylor Swift's "Haunted" (the one where she sings to the piano. Perfection).

Also, this is the last chapter for Part II, so yeah.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. Isayama is kind of hard to compete with.

Chapter Thirteen

 ** _What now?_**

 **Annie watched as another memory hovered above her, clear and unmoving. Ever since she had trapped herself inside the crystal, she had been having an endless stream of memories going through her mind — or at least, that was where she thought they were happening. She was pretty sure her eyes were closed, not open like the way her mind had lead her to believe. And yet here she was, looking on as the memory took shape in front of her, the image of the gates of Wall Sina looming over her.**

 **When these visits (that was what she decided to call it) first happened, Annie had to go through her childhood days again, back when her father had trained her nonstop, when her only goal was to become a warrior, and when she had to leave to fulfill her mission. Seeing her father's face again really shook her, and although she wasn't crying, she had a funny feeling that a tear had escaped her eye. Since then, the memories went on a rush, and she visited them one at a time; it was literally seeing her life before her eyes. She went through her journey, cadet days, graduation, and MP life once more, and of course she saw the people who had touched her life again.**

 **Those memories, she knew, would forever haunt her.**

 **How long had she been crystalized? Annie had lost track of time. Inside her self-made prison, where she had only her memories to accompany her, Annie was lost. Her last visit had been when she was writing to Armin, who was outside the walls with the Scouting Legion, and she smiled as she remembered it. It was strange, actually, but she thought she heard him reading those letters to her during that memory trip. Must be her mind playing tricks on her. She doubted Armin would remember a traitor like her.**

 **Armin. If there was a good thing about these visits, it was that she could see him again, alive and well. Her memories of him were not exactly the happiest, but nonetheless, she thought of them fondly. The visits served to quench her longing — but it also made her resolve to get revenge on him once she escaped weaken. She knew she should have stopped the memories when it finally came to those of him, but she can't help herself.**

 ** _I'm a masochist_ , _I guess_ , she thought, _I want to see him again_.**

 **As the gates of Wall Sina opened before her, she let herself get swept away into another visit.**

Annie stood straight, her fist over her heart in the traditional military salute, as the Survey Corps rode past her and the other MPs on their way towards the government building inside Wall Sina. She watched the procession eagerly, searching for a familiar mop of blond hair. Commander Erwin, along with Squad Leader Hange and Captain Levi, lead the Scouts, and Annie saw her Superior, Nile Dok, hide a disgusted look. No surprise — more cadets joined the Survey Corps this year, even those in the top ten.

Annie almost grinned when she saw Sasha riding alongside Connie, chewing furiously on a steamed potato. Typical. Her former classmates smiled and nodded to her as they passed, but she remained impassive. She had to keep appearances; after all, she was still on duty. Besides, there was only one face she had to see. Six months. Thankfully over.

Eren and Mikasa came in, and between them, his blue eyes studying the huge buildings around him, was Armin. He was obviously in awe with the architecture, as he took in everything all at once, and Annie can't suppress her smile then. Finally, Armin spotted her, and he gave her his usual warm smile. Annie returned it, but quickly fixed her face into its default state before the others — especially Hitch and her other MP companions — noticed. Before Armin and his friends went out of view, he mouthed _later_ to her.

When the last of the Scouts had gotten through, Annie and the rest all jogged back to headquarters, and she felt Hitch and Marlowe come up to her. Most days, she would snap at them to leave her alone, but today she was happy, so she let them off the hook.

"Well that was some welcome," said Hitch, grinning.

"There was nothing new with that," said Marlowe.

"There is, you know," said Hitch. They waited for her to continue. "No one's dead!"

She laughed as if it was the best thing she had ever said. Marlowe simply shook his head at her, and Annie was again annoyed at how a girl like her could possibly be her room mate. _Happy_ , _Annie,_ she said to herself. _Don't slap her._

"It was only a training exercise for the new recruits," she explained, her voice flat. "They didn't venture deep into Titan territory, so of course no one's dead."

"How'd you know that?" asked Marlowe, surprised.

She shrugged, but Hitch smiled knowingly and said: "Annie's got some inside info on the Survey Corps, you see."

"What? How?"

"Letters. Saw them under her pillow. Also, who was that you were smiling at back there, Annie?"

"What do you do? Watch every move I make?" said Annie angrily.

Hitch feigned innocence. "What? No. But he was kind of cute, you know."

Annie scoffed. They were all stupid, the lot of them. She stomped away from Hitch and Marlowe, and just as she turned a corner, she bumped into someone. She looked up, ready to berate the person who had hit her, but stopped short when she saw Armin's smiling face. With him was Eren, Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, and Jean.

"Annie!" said Armin, laughing lightly. He helped her up. "I'm sorry about that."

She can't speak. She simply nodded, then turned her attention to the others. "What are you all doing here at HQ?"

"We're not going inside or anything," said Eren in a disgusted tone. "Wouldn't want to go there anyway."

"Don't mind him," Armin told her. "The Commander is currently inside, giving a report. We were told to wait here. We had some time to spare, so we decided to look around."

"Where are the others?" she asked. "Reiner? Bertholdt?"

"They stayed back," replied Connie. "Christa and Ymir went off on their own."

"I see."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Armin shuffled his feet, looking at Annie with a shy smile. She pretended not to notice the blush creeping on his cheeks. She waited six months to see him again, and all she wanted was to have him for herself. The others seemed oblivious to this, though. They remained standing there, as if waiting for her to regale them with stories or something.

Jean, bless him, obviously got the clue. "Hey guys, let's go. Time's ticking."

"Yeah," said Sasha. "I'm hungry."

"Why don't you come with us, Annie?" offered Eren.

"No, she's not coming. Right, Annie?" said Jean.

"Why not?" asked Sasha, confused.

Jean sighed and whispered in a not-so-subtle way to them, "They need some alone time, can't you tell? Now let's bail."

Mikasa's eyes widened in understanding. "Right. We'll get going, Armin. Just make sure to catch up with us, okay?"

Armin, whose face was now completely pink, nodded. Annie once again pretended not to see or hear anything. Eren gave his best friend two thumbs-up before getting dragged away by Mikasa, and the couple watched as their friends rounded a corner and vanished.

Armin cleared his throat. "So…"

"Oh jeez," said Annie, rolling her eyes. She pulled him into a tight hug and smiled. "Gosh, they were frustrating."

He laughed softly, burying his head into her hair. "I missed you."

She pulled back. "I missed myself, too."

"I see that your dry sense of humor is still intact," he said. "Come on."

Armin took her hand and they started walking along the streets of Wall Sina. If she had it her way, she would have been more comfortable walking with him inside Wall Maria, but hey, she would take what she could get. She noticed that he had his Survey Corps jacket on, the symbol of the Wings of Liberty standing out on his chest pocket. He was wearing it proudly, as if he can't be pleased more. Annie can't say the same for her.

"Your uniform suits you," she told him.

"Thank you," he said. "You don't look bad yourself."

She shook her head. "This uniform's a farce."

"Why continue wearing it, then?"

"It's my ticket here. You know that."

He shrugged. "Perhaps. Still, you do realize it was your choice that brought you here in the first place."

"I'm fully aware of that," she replied.

They had reached a fountain. It was huge, with a round, marble basin cut out with intricate designs and water spouting out of the bowl carried by the sculpture of Sina, her long hair flowing, her feet atop a marble pedestal in the middle of the water. Armin and Annie sat on its edge, looking down at the bottom of the fountain, where a few coins glinted.

"What's with that?" asked Armin curiously.

"They say you make a wish and throw a coin in the water so it would come true." she answered.

"Nothing beats our shooting star," he said, remembering the night of the cook-off, when he and Annie had seen it. "It was straight from the heavens!"

Annie laughed at his dramatic proclamation. He smiled at her, squeezing her hand, and leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"You should laugh more often," he said.

"Right," she said sarcastically. "I'll laugh my head off at Hitch's annoying comments. She'd love that."

"How are you? You don't seem to have any good friends here."

"I don't need one. I do my job and that's it."

"That does sound like you. But still, it doesn't hurt to have someone here to talk to. This place is beautiful, but it's bleak. No offense."

"None taken," said Annie. She stared at her reflection in the water, its small waves blurring her face, and she can't help but think of how accurate the image was.

The truth was, Annie did not want to let anyone in anymore. She already took a huge risk by being with Armin, and even to him, she can't really admit her true identity, not to mention her intentions. She was wearing an invisible mask, one that held the face of Annie Leonhardt, the stoic, rude girl who only wanted safety for herself. The real her, the female titan that had an important mission, was tucked away deep in her mind, until the time came when she had to let it out. Armin wouldn't want the real verison of herself; what he was seeing was the Annie she had made up, the cadet that he met and fallen in love with.

But now, with his fingers intertwined with hers, Annie couldn't help but feel that the line between her two identities were starting to blur. She wanted to be the normal Annie, to let go of her Titan powers and just be with him. But every time she came close to telling him the truth, an invisible force stopped her, making her out of breath and shaky. She had an obligation to her people and to her father, and was she really willing to throw it all away just for him?

Sensing her discomfort, Armin nudged her elbow and raised his eyebrows in question. Annie simply smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder. They watched people pass by them, giving them strange looks, perhaps because of the insignias patched on their jackets — the Wings of Liberty and the Green Unicorn were closer than normal.

"Armin," she said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Do you ever wish that you were born in a different time? Or a different place?"

"You mean a different life?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, would you like a different life?"

Armin did not even think twice when he answered, "No."

"Why?" she asked, perplexed. "You had a rough life. You're parents left you when you were a kid, your grandfather died in the hands of Titans, and you were always bullied. Sounds like a life I'd like to leave if it were me."

He laughed. "I guess you're right. It was tough, but I still wouldn't have it any other way. If I hadn't been born in Shiganshina at the time that I did, I wouldn't have met Eren and Mikasa, and truthfully, I can't imagine a world without them. They're my best friends. If I hadn't experienced all that, I wouldn't have enlisted in the army and made the decision to join the Survey Corps."

He continued: "I know joining the Survey Corps isn't actually what you'd call the dream life, but I know I was meant to be here. I want to help defeat the Titans and secure a better and safer world. To go outside the walls and find all those lands I wanted to see. I want to go to the ocean, and reaching that goal together with my friends — it's the best thing I could hope for."

Annie nodded. He was talking in such a passionate way that Annie knew none of what he said was a lie. And why would he? Armin was free to be himself, always has been. He was always so hopeful and brave; everything she was not.

"Also," he said, pulling her out of her reverie. "Just imagine: if all that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met you. We wouldn't be sitting here now, talking about different lives. It's funny how fate works, don't you think?"

"Yes," she agreed, sighing against his shoulder.

It was funny, alright. Of everywhere he could end up in, he ended up in the Survey Corps, where Eren happened to join. Eren, who was essential to Annie's mission. Eren, who was Armin's best friend from childhood. How strange and cruel fate was. To get him, Annie knew she'd have to face Armin one way or another — or worse, hurt him in the process. The female titan was slowly creeping out of its hiding place inside Annie's mind, and she knew the day was coming to finally unleash it, her true self.

"Hey," she said. "When's your first expedition happening?"

"A week from now," he replied.

"I see."

Her mission was about to begin. Armin fished a coin out from his pocket and turned around toward the fountain. Annie raised her eyebrows at him.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"To ask for a longer life. I want to come back alive from my first expedition you know." he replied.

"You will," she said. _I'll make sure of it._

Armin threw the coin, but instead of a splashing sound, a loud shattering echoed through the air as the coin hit the water, which broke like glass, sending shards flying everywhere. Annie watched as Armin and the surroundings disappeared, and she knew the visit was over.

 **Annie took in large gulps of air. She was lying on the wooden floor, surrounded by broke pieces of crystal. She rubbed her eyes, adjusting it to the sudden hit of light. She looked behind her and saw that her crystal had exploded, and now she knew where the shattering sound had came from.**

 **She closed her eyes. She could hear frantic footsteps coming and going through the cell door, but she was too weak to even try and make an escape. Her muscles were sore, and her head was throbbing like hell. Annie could barely move from her spot on the floor.**

 **"Where? Where is she?" an excited voice said.**

 **"Squad Leader Hange!" a solder said. "It's too dangerous to go near her —"**

 **"Shush," said Hange. Annie opened her eyes to see the crazy scientist's face so close to her. "Well hello, Annie. Welcome back."**


	16. Chapter Fourteen

AN: And we are now on Part III of Temporary Bliss! Wow, I never thought this story would come this far (I have a bad habit of not finishing things), but I guess I really am enjoying this.

Anyway, I realized that I still haven't thanked Scattershot98 properly for constantly dropping a review, so I'd like to take this opportunity and say that I would be forever grateful to you. Also, thanks Paleotoons — whose profile pic is actually my best friend's favorite thing ever — and bubble.duckie for the reviews and I hope you continue the journey that is this fanfic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan. If I did, Aruani would be canon from the start.

Chapter Fourteen

 **Armin was eating dinner at the mess hall with his friends when a Survey Corps soldier rushed in, panting and sweating. Everyone looked up as the man searched around frantically, until his eyes finally settled on Armin. He approached him quickly, and after saluting, said loudly: "Private Arlert, I have orders from Squad Leader Hange to come and fetch you!"**

 **Armin sighed, exasperated. What now? Hange always asked him for help on many things: mapping out newly discovered lands, annotating out-of-date Survey Corps books, and sometimes, for some unknown reason, naming the Titans they managed to capture. The last one had been their problem the last week, when the Survey Corps managed to catch two new Titans, who will be subjected into experimentation. Armin guessed Hange still hadn't decided on their names yet.**

 **"I already told her, Joe is an okay name. She can call the four meter class Joe like she wants to —" Armin started, but the soldier cut him off.**

 **"The Female Titan has escaped from her crystal, sir!" he said.**

 **He could hear a pin drop. The whole room went silent, and he could see Mikasa's hand tighten around the bread she was holding. The soldier was obviously in a panic, as he fidgeted on his spot, biting his lip. Armin shook his head. _What? How? When?_ Annie…could it be? Had she finally released herself from her self-imprisonment? Armin wanted to pinch himself just to make sure that he was awake and this was not some twisted imagining. How many times had he dreamt about that? The time when he'd be able to see her again — there was not a day that passed that he hadn't thought of it.**

 **He wondered how she got out. The crystal that held her must be destroyed; he imagined the hard, shiny rock shattered into pieces, and can't help but to feel bad about its destruction. It was a pretty thing.**

 **Armin almost laughed. Here was someone giving him the news he waited for all these years, and all he could think about was some stupid, broken crystal.**

 **"Sir?" the soldier, who was just a newly inducted member of the Survey Corps, tentatively asked. "Are you alright? We really need to go."**

 **The feel of a hand on his shoulder brought Armin back to reality. He turned to see Eren nodding to him, and he did not know whether his best friend was happy about the news or not. His green eyes revealed nothing about his true feelings. Armin studied the other faces around him — Jean gripped the handle of his mug too tightly, Bertholdt seemed to be listening eagerly, and Sasha simply looked shocked. Regardless, he stood, and after saying goodbye to his friends, followed the soldier out.**

 **As they walked down the stairs leading to the underground cells, their footsteps echoing across the empty space, Armin can't help but feel overwhelmed. And nervous. And excited. And scared. He knew the feelings all too well — how could he forget the very things he felt during his very first expedition?**

The former members of the 104th lined up, their ODM gears set out before them, ready to be presented. A Commander of the garrison walked up and down their line, inspecting the gears. Armin stood in the middle of Connie and Annie. He watched as the Commander asked Sasha a question, nodding to his subordinate, who jotted down everything she said.

The inspection was sudden and immediate. Armin and his fellow Survey Corps members were about to set out for their expedition that very afternoon, but first, the military had issued a command for all the former 104th cadets to show up at the MP Headquarters and show their gear. Armin knew that most of the people here probably did not know what the inspection was for, but not him.

Ever since he joined the Scouts, Hange had made him her unofficial student/assistant. Apparently, she had heard of his tactical brilliance from both Commander Pixis and his friends, and took it upon herself to train him under her wing. That was why when she started studying the two Titans that they had captured from the Battle for Trost, he was there, studying them with her. Sawney and Bean (Hange insisted that they name them) had been in the Survey Corps custody for six months, until they were brought back with them to Wall Maria when the fresh graduates came back from their initial training.

The Titans were kept in the Survey Corps HQ, but yesterday, a day just before they ventured out into the walls again, the two Titans had been mysteriously killed. Armin could still hear Hange's anguished cries over seeing her precious Titans' decimated bodies. Someone had obviously murdered them, but who? And why would they suspect that it was someone from the 104th?

"You don't suppose Jean did it, do you?" asked Connie quietly.

Armin was surprised that Connie would say such a thing. Sure, Jean wasn't exactly the nicest guy around, but he doubted that he would be able to kill two Titans who were considered invaluable specimens. He may not be much, but Jean was smart and loyal to the Survey Corps.

"Why would you say that?" asked Armin, glancing at their brown-haired friend, who was at the next table.

"Nothing," said Connie. "It's not that I could blame him, though, if he actually did it. After everything that happened at Trost, I'd be surprised if no one wants to get their revenge. We lost so many people there. All our friends…"

Armin nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Yet you still joined the Survey Corps," said Annie. "Even after what you witnessed at Trost?"

"What else was there to do?" countered Connie. "I guess I'm not like you. You went through your decision no matter what, and now you're part of the MP, just like you always wanted to."

They were quiet for a moment, until Annie suddenly said: "If someone ordered you to die, would you do it?"

"What? No. Of course not." said Connie.

"What about you, Armin?" she asked.

"I would, but only if my sacrifice would be worth it. I want to know that I gave up my life for something." he said.

Annie did not reply. She stared straight ahead, obviously mulling over his answer. She and Armin had said their final goodbyes earlier that day, just before the sudden inspection, and he could still remember her words to him: "Be careful out there. You don't know what you'll run into." Was she afraid that he'd risk his life if things got out of hand? Also, when it came down to it, could he actually do it? Sacrifice his life, accept death — all for the greater good? As the time for their expedition grew nearer, he can't help but feel that he was about to find the answer.

He lowered his gaze and noticed Annie's maneuvering gear. He stopped short, taking in a sudden breath. Armin studied the object, his eyes roaming across the gear's dents and scratches, and found himself getting more and more bewildered with every newfound detail. He knew that gear well; hell, he even cleaned it by himself sometimes. That was Marco's gear, so how did it end up with Annie?

He wanted to look at her, but he found out that he couldn't do it. What did he expect to see there? Guilt? Relief? He told himself that Annie probably had a good reason for showing up with their dead friend's belonging, and he wondered whether he ought to ask her about it. Just as he thought about this, another memory surfaced on his mind, one in where he told her all about the two Titans they had been holding. Was it her? Did Annie kill Sawney and Bean? _No. Stop it, Armin._

"Okay, Inspection's over," announced the Commander. "Those of you who are a part of the Scouting Legion, hurry up, the others are waiting at the gates. Thank you, and good luck!"

They saluted, and Armin, along with his comrades, quickly fastened their ODM gears, ready to go. Before he left the building, though, he turned back to Annie, who was gathering her — _or was it, really? No! Stop thinking about that!_ — own gear. She looked up at him, confused.

"Aren't you suppose to be going?" she asked.

"Yes, but..." he said.

"But what?"

He stared at her. Annie tilted her head to the side, waiting. Armin clenched his fists to stop them from shaking. Her eyebrows furrowed with concern, and Annie took hold of his hand, asking, "Is everything alright?"

Armin couldn't handle it. She was talking in such a gentle way that he can't bring himself to ask her about Marco's gear. Besides, what if he was wrong? Annie was a good person: she comforted him, made him smile, and most importantly, accepted him for who he was. He was happier with her than he ever was in his entire life. How could he have suspected her? He loved her — that was all that mattered, right? But still, even knowing all this, Armin can't stop the nagging sense of foreboding in his heart.

"Armin," she said, pulling him out of his jumbled thoughts. "Are you okay?"

He made up his mind.

Armin smiled, ignoring the painful pang in his chest. He was wrong, he was sure of it. Annie would never do such a thing. She would never lie to him.

"I'm good," he said. "Just a little nervous."

She nodded, understanding. "Well, there's nothing I can do about that. Just remember: follow Commander Erwin's orders. No impulsive acts. Whatever happens, stay in formation."

"I'll try," he said, laughing. "You seem to know the mission better than I do. Maybe you should come along."

She grimaced at that, though he had no idea why. He was only joking, after all. Armin frowned, and before he could say something, the bell chimed, signaling their departure. Armin almost wished that he could have a few more minutes with her. He had so much to say; suspicion was hard to keep at bay, though he tried his best to ignore it.

Annie smiled at him and let go of his hand. "Maybe I will. Goodbye, Armin."

He kissed her. He felt strange; there was something different about their kiss, something sad and remarkable, as if they knew that it would be their last one. Armin ran to the gates, where Mikasa and Eren already waited for him. His horse was between them, and he hopped on just as the gates of Wall Maria went up. This was it. There was no turning back now.

"Scouts!" shouted Commander Erwin from the front lines, "Get ready. Today we begin the Scouting Legion's 57th expedition!"

The Survey Corps gave a battlecry, raising their blades up into the air, as the people cheered them on. Armin could feel the mix of excitement and anticipation in the air, and for once, he took all these feelings in, embracing them. He was one step closer to his dream of seeing the outside world. He looked back one last time toward the crowds, searching for Annie, but saw with a heavy heart that she was already gone.

 **They had finally reached the cell. The first thing Armin saw was Hange, peeping through the small rectangular opening on Annie's door. The scientist's had her tongue sticking out of her mouth, obviously having a hard time seeing through the dark room. When she spotted him, she gave out a cry of pure joy and said, "Finally! Did you hear the news? Of course you did, that's why you're here, right? Oh, how wonderful! Now we have an addition to Titan Eren —"**

 **"Hange —"**

 **"Just imagine the possibilities! I mean —"**

 **"Hange, why are you outside? Wouldn't it be easier for you to study her if you could actually _see_ her?"**

 **"Oh," she said. Composing herself, she gestured towards the door. "I already saw her. I tended to her after she got out of the crystal. I arranged for her cell and everything, but I have to wait for the Commander's orders before I can actually start my research."**

 **"I see," he said. "Why did you call for me, then?"**

 **She raised her eyebrows at him. "Why, to talk to her, of course."**

 **Armin bowed his head. Was he ready for this? He liked to believe that he was. All these years, he had nothing to do but imagine what he'd tell her if they ever got the chance to talk to each other again. His eyes remained on his feet, thinking back on inspection day, when the first seed of suspicion was planted on him. If he hadn't seen Annie's ODM gear then, the rest wouldn't have followed — he wouldn't have suspected her, wouldn't have trapped her, wouldn't have betrayed her.**

 **But it was too late for excuses. Blaming the past would be like blaming fate itself, and Armin knew to do both would be foolish. On the other side of this door was the girl he had loved and hated at the same time, and now that he was given the chance to see her again, to finally ask for answers, he realized that he couldn't do it.**

 **"Hey," said Hange softly. "It's okay if you're not ready yet. Take your time. I'm not asking you to confront her here and now. I just thought that you'd like to talk to her before anyone else; I guess I thought you of all people deserved to see her first."**

 **Armin nodded. She was right. After tonight, the news of her release would spread, and a lot of people — important people from the military, especially — would be coming here to see her. He was sure Commander Erwin and Lance Corporal Levi would be the first ones on the list. They'd interrogate her, and Armin felt chills thinking about the Lance Corporal's ways of asking. Some part of him, the part that never stopped caring about her, screamed at him to go and meet her now, to give Annie a heads-up about what awaited her.**

 **"I'll go," he finally said.**

 **Hange did not reply, but instead handed him the keys to the cell. After giving him an encouraging nod, she left. Armin took in a deep breath, inserting the key into the heavy, metal lock. The door creaked open.**

 **It was dark inside, with nothing but the sliver of moonlight coming through the small, barred window illuminating the place. He squinted, and he could just make out Annie's thin frame sitting against the stone walls. She didn't move when he entered, and Armin was just about to speak when she said, "So you came."**

 **"How did you know it was me?" he asked, surprised.**

 **"I didn't," she replied flatly. "But you just confirmed it now."**

 **Armin shook his head. So her three-year slumber hadn't made her the least bit careless. He did not know whether that was a good thing or not. He stepped further into her cell, so the light can capture his face. He wanted to see her, to actually get a good look on her current state, but she remained where she was, her head turned away from him. As he got nearer, he noticed the shackles binding her wrists and ankles, rendering her motionless. He winced; he should have known that they would do this.**

 **"Anti-transformation measures," she explained, shaking her hands and making the chains rattle. "You don't want me rampaging across Wall Sina again, do you?"**

 **She was being her usual sarcastic self. Somehow, he can't help but notice the underlying anger on her tone, a feeling that came with being put in such a shameful situation. A wave of guilt surged through him, but he closed his eyes and told himself that it was all for the best.**

 **"What brought you here?" she asked, and her voice had lost its venom. "You came here to mock me? To trick me, perhaps? Oh wait — you already did the last one."**

 **Armin ignored her accusation. "I came here to talk."**

 **Annie did not respond. She turned to face him for the first time that night, and Armin had to stop himself from stepping back when her icy blue eyes met his. She blew a loose strand of blond hair away from her face and shrugged.**

 **"Okay," she said seriously. "Let's talk."** **After three, painful years, it was time for answers.**


	17. Chapter Fifteen

AN: Hello, readers! I rewatched the later episodes of the first season of Attack on Titan a few days ago, drew some Aruani on my sketchpad yesterday, and went strolling at the mall with my best friend this afternoon just to get some inspiration. I had a really hard time writing this one — I have four different versions of how this chapter would be like until I finally settled with this. The struggle is real, guys, but I know it was worth it when I finally typed the last word. I just hope you feel the same way once you finish reading this, and thank you for all the positive feedbacks!

Song inspiration: "Eyes Closed (Stripped version)" by Halsey. Not listening to it would be a crime. It helped me pull this off. Listen to it to get the full vibe of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Fifteen

 **Annie and Armin's eyes roamed around the room, looking at the floor, the ceiling, the window — anywhere but each other. Annie knew she ought to speak, but she found out that she couldn't think of anything to say. For three years, she'd thought of nothing but the things she'd like to say to Armin if they ever met again, but now that she finally had the chance to do it, her voice had failed her. She gulped, bracing herself for a possible lash-out from him; she was sure he was here to point out all of her past crimes.**

 **"How are you?"**

 **She looked up. Armin sat himself on the single, wooden chair near the window, leaning his head against the wall. How was she? Can't he see her situation right now? _What a feeble attempt at a conversation_ , she thought, but she went along with it.**

 **"Good," she said flatly. "Except for the whole I'm-in-chains-inside-an-underground-prison thing, I'm fine."**

 **He nodded almost absentmindedly. "I see you've met Hange."**

 **"I did." she replied. "I suppose she's my guardian for the time being, am I correct?"**

 **"Yes, I guess you could call her that," he said. He crossed his arms. "She's going to be studying you."**

 **"Study," she repeated quietly. "Like I'm some mindless Titan. What? You're gonna tie me up and put large tacks in every part of my body to keep me in place?"**

 **He shook his head. "Hange wouldn't do that."**

 **"Sawney and Bean beg to disagree."**

 **"You killed them, Annie."**

 **"So killing a Titan is a crime now. No wonder I'm still alive."**

 **Armin's face remained impassive, though she noticed him frown at her sarcasm. What did he expect? That she'd be all sweet and welcoming to him? Well, looked like someone forgot about his own past transgressions. She remembered the day of her capture, when he had lead her to the entrance of an underground tunnel with Eren and Mikasa, and she can't help the sudden surge of anger going through her.**

 **"What do you really want?" she asked loudly. "If you want any information, then you can leave now. I have nothing to tell you —"**

 **"Annie," he said, and hearing him say her name again after all these years startled her so much that she momentarily forgot about her anger. "I just want to tell you that after tonight, the Survey Corps would be in charge of your interrogation. They won't kill you — the court decision made sure of that — but believe me when I say that they would use everything at their disposal in order to get answers from you. Commander Erwin is not a cruel man, but he will do everything he can if it meant saving mankind, and that includes torturing information out of you."**

 **Annie wasn't scared of much, but pain was different. She knew there was some form of torture that awaited her once she escaped from her crystal; she did do some unforgivable things in the past. However, despite Armin's warning, she wasn't worried about the blond Commander — it was his strongest soldier that she was wary of. She had killed a lot of members of the Scouting Legion, and that included Captain Levi's whole squad. She was certain that he would want to get his revenge, and she shivered at the thought of their upcoming meeting. The last time they fought, the Captain had almost singlehandedly defeated her titan form.**

 **"I'm telling you this so you could be prepared," said Armin. "It won't be easy. Aside from the interrogation, there's also Hange's research you have to worry about. Hange has no interest in hurting you, but I won't say that her experiments aren't going to be painful."**

 **What was he doing?** **Annie was confused as to why he was really there. Surely, he didn't go there just so he could warn her of her fate. Annie felt suspicious; he was being too nice for her taste. If they were in a different setting, she wouldn't have worried about his act of kindness — but this was different. They both knew there wasn't any trust left in their hearts for each other, so why was he acting like nothing had changed?**

 **"Why are you here, really?" she said dully. Her hair hid her face from him. "Did they send you here to talk to me? Well, tell them that I have nothing to —"**

 **"I came here of my own free will. I wanted to see you again."**

 **"Hah. Right. I bet you missed me like hell."**

 **"I did."**

 **Annie glared at him. "Stop it. You're not making this any easier, you know."**

 **"What if I told you that there's still some part of me that cares about you?" asked Armin softly. He sounded so genuine that Annie's heart ached. "Believe it or not, I did treasure what we had."**

 **"No," she said, and she hated how vulnerable she sounded. _I knew I shouldn't have talked_. Annie shook her head. "Stop it. You're lying. Just stop."**

 **He didn't reply. Annie hoped he would go away. She hated him. She hated the way he sounded so sincere. She hated how calm and patient he was. But, most of all, she hated the small part of her that still wanted to believe in him.**

 **Annie closed her eyes. That way, she could pretend that she was back inside her crystal, alone and safe. She filled her mind with thoughts about her father and her people, things that would distant her from the guy who sat in front of her now. She had to remind herself of her reason for being there, and it did not involve a reconciliation with Armin.**

 **"Annie," he called, and she really wished he'd stop using her name so much. "Please look at me."**

 **Annie refused to meet his gaze. She was sure that Armin was acting; everything he's saying now is part of some clever ploy to get important information out of her. She scoffed. Seemed like some things never change. He might look different now, but his true nature remained — he was, and still is, a master manipulator. She fell for his traps once, and she was not about to do it again.**

 **Several minutes passes by in silence, and Annie wondered whether he had already left. She risked a glance at the spot where Armin had been sitting, and found him still there, staring at her. She felt self-conscious. She hadn't taken a bath in three years, her hair had come out of its bun and was hanging loosely down her shoulders, and her cheek had been scratched by a shard of crystal earlier. Annie looked like a mess, and yet there was something in the way his eyes regarded her.**

 **Annie felt her resolve crumbling. She had to make him leave now, and she knew only one way to do it.**

 **"Armin," she said, snapping him out of his transfixed state. "You want to talk, don't you? Then let's do it. I'll answer one question, and that's it."**

 **He seemed surprised at first, but then he eventually nodded. Annie waited for him to ask her something about her powers, about the other Titan Shifters lurking inside the walls, or maybe about her motives. She hadn't expected Armin to repeat the question he had asked her all those years ago, when they had decided that their responsibilities were far greater than their personal attachments.**

 **"Annie, why didn't you kill me?"**

Annie ran and ran and ran. She'd been following the Survey Corps ever since they left the gates, and in her Titan form, catching up with them was not a problem. Her footsteps echoed around the wide field, shaking the uppermost branches of the trees she had passed by and making the birds settling on them so startled that they immediate took flight. Her mission, the very reason why she had been sent inside the walls, was finally starting.

She remembered the talk she had with Bertholdt and Reiner earlier that day, just before they set out for the Survey Corps 57th expedition. They gave her all the information they had gathered in order to help her with her mission, which Annie had to admit wasn't really much.

"Commander Erwin obviously has all this already planned out," said Reiner. "You have to be ready. Who knows what the Survey Corps are up to."

They had found out that Reiner and Bertholdt received different information regarding Eren's position inside the formation. Since Annie's mission was to capture him, knowing his location was very crucial. Annie did not want to take any chances; one small mistake and she might end up running straight into a squad full of experienced soldiers, or worse, a horde of Titans. She wanted to avoid any unnecessary fighting, but it seemed like that would be impossible.

Annie sighed. "In short, I have to go through every squad in the formation until I find him."

"Well, it's not like you have any other choice," said Bertholdt gently. "I'm pretty sure you can take them. It would be tiring though, not mention a complete waste of time."

Reiner nodded. "Don't worry. Once Bert and I determine Eren's location, we'll find a way to relay the message to you."

Annie had to stop herself from groaning. She was frustrated with their lack of input, but she kept her mouth shut. She guessed they had underestimated the Commander. She should have known that he would take precautionary measures when it came to Eren — he was too important to lose.

Annie bid them goodbye, but before she could turn, Bertholdt grabbed her arm and said, "Stay safe, Annie. Be careful out there."

She nodded. Bertholdt bit his lip, letting her go. He smiled tentatively at her, as if waiting for a response, but when he got none he turned around and left her. Annie wasn't dumb; she knew Bertholdt had a huge crush on her, something Reiner often liked to tease both of them about. Annie did not want to hurt him, but she can't change the fact that she already had someone, and although she still noticed him glancing at her every now and then, he never took any action.

As Annie reached what she supposed was the right wing of the formation, she noticed Bertholdt looking up at her and nodding. He made a subtle gesture with his hand to go on ahead, and as the others readied to use their ODM gears and kill her, he suddenly sent his horse slamming into them, throwing them into the ground.

"I'm sorry!" she heard Bertholdt say, "I panicked!

 _Where the hell are you, Eren?_ she thought. _Where is the Coordinate?_

As she continued on her search, two figures suddenly started circling her, their grappling hooks connecting with her arms and nape. As a middle-aged man with a white handkerchief tied tightly around his head got ready to strike, Annie grabbed his gear's wire and slammed him hard on the field, making blood splatter out of his mouth and chest. His partner aimed for the back of her neck, but she hardened it just in time to send him flying off into the air.

Annie didn't even see the third soldier still galloping on his horse below, obviously trying to outrun her. She slammed her foot hard on the ground, knocking him off his ride and sending him rolling onto the grass. His hood was up, concealing his identity.

Annie crouched down next to him. She carefully lifted off his hood, revealing the face Annie hoped not to see during this entire mission.

 _No,_ she said to herself. _Why him?_

Armin stared at her with scared eyes. Annie studied him, looking for any signs of injuries, but he had none, to which she was thankful for. He seemed shaken, and she couldn't really blame him — he had seen two of his comrades die, after all.

She kept gazing at him. What should she do now? Armin still had his eyes on her, and was it only her imagination, or did recognition just flashed across his features? Annie clenched her hand into a fist. She should kill him. It was the best option there was. He was too smart for his own good, so she can't let him live now that he had a good look at her.

She pulled her fist back, ready to let fly, but she stopped herself at the last second. Was she really going to do this? She stared at him, taking in every detail of his face, and a wave of memories suddenly hit her like a sledgehammer, leaving her shocked and breathless. All those things they had shared: the laughter, the smiles, the bliss — it was too much that she couldn't handle it.

Her hand went limp. She couldn't do it. She knew she should, but she couldn't find the strength to go through with it. _How pathetic._ That was what her father would have said. _Love is for the weak_. _You should not show any weakness to the enemy_. She supposed that was right, but Annie can't imagine a world without him. It would be too unbearable.

Annie stood up and ran, leaving a confused Armin behind. Was it really wise not to kill him? To let him live in the offchance that he wouldn't be able to find out who she really was? Annie did not know, and truthfully, she did not care. She promised herself that she would do anything to keep him alive, and she wasn't about to break it.

 **"I…" she said slowly.** **What was she supposed to say? I didn't kill you because I did not want to lose you? No, she can't tell him that. If they found out that she still cared for him, they might use that as leverage against her, and knowing Armin, she wouldn't be surprised if he suggests the idea himself. Annie swore to herself that she wasn't going to tell them anything, come hell or high water. It was about time that she became a warrior.**

 **"It's complicated," she finally said.**

 **Armin raised his eyebrows. "That's it?"**

 **She shrugged, brushing it off. She set her gaze on him and said firmly: "That's it. What did you expect? That I'd tell you that it was because I loved you that I let you live? You're too full of yourself, Armin."**

 **He studied her. "You're lying."**

 **"How do you know? You never knew the real me, Armin. What we had was simply a way for me to past time here in the walls. My mission is my first priority — not my comrades, or my job, and especially not you. I'm a selfish girl. I never loved anyone."**

 **He looked hurt. Armin shook his head slightly, frowning. Annie forced herself to keep her eyes on him, hoping he wouldn't see through her lie.**

 **"I see," he said quietly. "So I was mistaken to think that you were capable of loving."**

 **"Don't make me laugh," she said harshly. "Love is for fools. We were fools. We believed such a thing existed, when it was clear that it did not."**

 **"Then what would you call it then, if not love? An illusion? A fantasy?" he countered.**

 **"Sure, you can call it that. It was an illusion we lived in. We made this whole thing where we believed that we really did care for each other, so we can have some peace of mind. So we can always have someone to turn to." she answered, and she felt more hollow with each word. "Isn't that why people love in the first place? So they can always tell themselves that they aren't alone."**

 **"I loved you, Annie," he said. "I really did."**

 **"Loved?" she said, and she tried her best not to make her voice quiver. "Nice choice of word. So I'm assuming that you hate me now."**

 **Armin shook his head. "Sometimes I feel like I do."**

 **"Are you telling me that you don't know?" she asked him, scoffing.**

 **"Love, hate — what's the difference? The point is, I can't forgive you, and you can't forgive me. Simple as that. It's the truth, right?"**

 **Armin and Annie met each other's gaze, trying to fathom the other's thoughts. Several, intense minutes passed by, neither one of them backing down, and Annie was sure that her heart was just about to burst at any moment. She could see a swirl of emotions going through his eyes, but she couldn't pick out a single one. Hurt, anger, betrayal — all of them flickered on his face so fast it made her dizzy.**

 **Finally, Armin sighed and put his head down, breaking the spell. Annie wanted to smirk, to rub her victory to his face, but she found out that she couldn't do it. She did not win. Not in the staring contest they just had earlier, and especially not in the way things turned out to be. She had lost, that was the simple truth. Her being here, bounded in chains and talking to the boy she once cared about in such a hurtful manner, was proof enough of her failure.**

 **"Why did you do it?" she said suddenly, and she was shocked to hear herself ask the question she'd been wondering about all these years. "Tricked me. Betrayed me. Why?"**

 **"I needed to do the right thing," he replied simply.**

 **"Needed," she said. Him and his words again.**

 **Armin nodded. "Yes, needed. I didn't want to betray you, but you left me with no choice."**

 **Annie let out a humourless laugh. "That's interesting. So it was my fault that I got captured, is that what you're telling me? That I'm to blame myself for getting caught?"**

 **Armin turned away from her and stared out of the window. The moon was high up; a silver glow bathed his face, and for once Annie saw just how much he really had changed. Gone was the usual spark in his eyes, the dreamy look he always had when he talked about all the places that he wanted to see. This was not the Armin she knew — this was someone else, a stranger whom she had never met. For some reason, she resented this man standing before her now. He had ripped away everything good about Armin: his hopes, his dreams, his innocence. Annie remembered the face she had seen when she had lifted off his hood that fateful day, and she once again closed her eyes, keeping the image floating in her mind.**

 **"It's complicated," he answered after a while.**

 **"We have the same answer then," she commented dryly. "Glad to know we're on the same track of mind."**

 **He almost smiled. The corners of his lips lifted slightly at her reply, but he stopped them before they could fully materialize. Armin walked toward the cell door, but stopped halfway and said, "I'm glad you came back, Annie. It was nice seeing you again."**

 **Annie watched as he shut the door behind him, not once looking back.**


	18. Chapter Sixteen

AN: Sweet sixteen! I'm glad for all the great reviews regarding last chapter — it makes me feel relieved and happy at the same time. I was afraid of making Aruani's first meeting after three years a complete blunder, but seeing all your positive responses really helped me be more comfortable in my writing. I'm sad by the way things turned out to be in chapter fifteen, and I apologize because there will be more angst and hurt ahead. I just love you guys that way. Hahaha.

But if you want a light and fun read, do check out my new fanfic called Drama Club! It's way different from this one, and it includes the whole gang. I'll be uploading its second chapter later, or maybe tomorrow — whatever works. That's all I'm gonna say about it, but I really do hope you give it a try. Anyway, let's do this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Sixteen

The news of Annie's escape from the crystal spread like wildfire, and after a week, basically the whole military from the Scouts to the Garrison knew about it. Of course that meant that the citizens of Wall Sina had heard about it, too, and just yesterday the government building had been swarmed by the panicked townspeople demanding for Annie's immediate execution and Commander Erwin's removal from office.

If there was anyone who seemed remotely happy about Annie's release, it was this year's trainees. The cadets of the 107th had been buzzing with excitement when they heard about this new development, but most of the senior officers knew that that was only mainly because they had been hearing different scraps of legends during campfire night — and the Female Titan being part of the 104th training corps was one of their favorites. It also didn't help that these legends somehow got verification from what they called reliable sources (Jean had a suspicion these sources may be named Ymir and Connie), so now the girls were all swooning with what they called Armin and Annie's tragic story.

In short, it had been one hell of a week for the Scouting Legion, whose members were once again the center of gossip and scrutiny — most especially, Armin. It didn't slip his notice when a handful of citizens from Wall Sina gave him suspicious and disgusted looks when he passed them by whenever he went to HQ with his friends; it was quite amusing to see Eren crack his knuckles in front of the talking old women.

"They're so annoying," said his best friend. Hange had asked Eren, Mikasa, and Jean to help Armin bring some of her books from HQ to the cells, so now they were walking along the streets of Sina under the hot afternoon sun. "They look at us — I mean, you — as if you were dirt."

"Do they?" said Armin calmly as he folded the sleeves of his military jacket. "They've been doing it for quite some time now, I've almost gotten used to it."

"You should ask the Commander to put a stop to this." he suggested.

"Why? It's not like they could actually hurt me," he said, and in an effort to lighten up the mood, he joked, "Besides, the cadets have been very sympathetic."

Eren gave him an incredulous look. "Why are you okay with this?"

"I'm not," said Armin truthfully. He sighed. "But there's nothing I can do about it."

"He's right," piped up Jean. "Armin isn't stupid, Eren. He won't punch people just because he's pissed."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means what you think it means."

"Are you telling me I'm stupid?"

"I guess so."

"Why you horse-faced piece of —"

"Enough, both of you," said Mikasa, pushing Eren gently on the chest before he could grab Jean. "You aren't helping. We want them to ignore us, not ogle us some more."

Eren huffed and went back to looking sullen. Jean shrugged and continued walking while Mikasa sent glares on every person who dared glance at them. They found out that Mikasa's death stares were a better way to silence the people than arguing with them, so they shut their mouths and let her walk ahead instead.

Armin looked up. The sun was mercilessly beating down on them, and he felt warm and stuffy. He wished summer would end soon. The season reminded him of a conversation he once had with Annie back in their cadet days, when she and him had stood at the edge of Wall Maria, talking about the ocean. _You should go there in the summer_ , she had said. Armin had believed her reasoning then — had held on to it, even — but now he knew that she was just trying to mask her lie by going on and on about his dream.

 _Why didn't I see it?_ he thought. Now that he thought about it, there were so many signs pointing to her being a Titan Shifter, but he had been so blind to recognize them. If he had found out about her identity earlier and confronted her about it, would things be different from what they were now? He did not know, and thinking about all the things that could have been only resulted in him lacking sleep.

"Armin, are you alright?" asked Mikasa, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I just zoned out a bit."

She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "Her interrogation starts today."

He nodded. Armin didn't have to ask who she was referring to. "I know."

"Will you be alright?" said Eren. "I mean, with the whole Annie fiasco and you being judged by everyone around you."

"I still don't get why they want you to be there during her interrogation," said Jean. It almost sounded like he was angry about it. "Like they need to hurt you even more."

Armin smiled at them. "No, it's okay. I want to be there, actually."

"Why?" asked Eren. "After everything that happened…"

"I want answers," he replied simply. "And although this is not how I prefer to get them, I don't really have a choice. Besides, Hange had asked me to assist her; I can't say no to her after everything she's done for me and Annie."

"I suppose so," said Mikasa quietly. She gave him an encouraging smile. "We'll be waiting for you, then."

 **Armin followed the Female Titan alongside Jean and Reiner. He was quite sure that it was a human hiding inside a Titan's body; it was far too intelligent to be a common Aberrant, and the fact that it simply killed instead of ate further confirmed his suspicions. Now that he had recovered from his initial shock, he was left utterly confused by the sudden turn of events. The Female Titan had studied his face, but did not kill him. Why? Why would it make an exception for him? He had no idea, and there was no time to find out.**

 **He watched as it ran in a relatively slow pace. _It's getting tired. Now's our chance._**

 **"We just need to hold it up until the formation has reformed, right?" asked Jean, as he took his blades out.**

 **Armin nodded. "Pull your hoods up. It wouldn't kill us if there's a slight chance that one of us is Eren."**

 **The three of them put on their hoods and got ready. As the Female Titan turned, Jean shot his grappling hooks and connected with its ankle. As he swung to slice off the back of her legs, though, she suddenly twisted her foot, sending him off balance and accidentally hitting Armin's horse in the process. Armin was thrown off his mare and flew across the field, finally hitting his head on a hard rock. He felt warm liquid run down his hair to his eyes. _Blood._**

 **Jean swung around the Female Titan ready to strike, but it put a hand over its nape, protecting it. Distracted by its actions, he didn't see its fist going straight for him. There was no way to dodge it — Jean braced himself for the impact, but it never came. Bewildered, he opened his eyes to see Armin sitting up and shouting some things which made the Female Titan freeze.**

 **"Jean!" Armin shouted, "Avenge him, the suicidal bastard! I saw him die at the right flank, saw her step on him and kill him!"**

 **It was working — the Female Titan had stopped and focused her attention on him. Armin felt relieved that Jean had gotten away, but he also felt conflicted. Only those in the 104th knew who the 'suicidal bastard' was, and the fact that she knew narrowed down Armin's list of suspects — narrowed it down so greatly, in fact, that he was now quite sure who the person was inside the Titan's nape.**

 **The Female Titan looked down on him, and Armin can't help but shiver. Those blue eyes… there were only two blue-eyed girls in the 104th: Annie and Christa, who was also both blond. As much as he prayed that it was Christa who was looming over him now, he knew for a fact that he was wrong — there was no mistaking that cold, uninterested stare.**

 ** _Annie,_ he thought. _Why?_**

 **Reiner screamed as Annie caught him in her giant hand. She squeezed, and Jean shouted as Reiner's head disappear from view and blood suddenly bursted from inside the Female Titan's fist. Armin was shocked. _No, not Reiner..._**

 **But their grief was short-lived. Reiner flew out of Annie's grip, by cutting off her fingers. He landed next to Armin and carried his limp form in his arm. Armin watched as the Female Titan looked at its palm, and after a minute she stood up and ran.**

 **"Looks like the bitch got scared and decided to run home," commented Reiner.**

 **Armin did not say anything. He did not want to tell him that he was wrong, completely wrong. Annie was now heading straight towards Eren, and as much as he wanted to tell Jean and Reiner about this, he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't ready to voice out his suspicion yet; he was still holding on to the slim chance that he was wrong. He had never wanted to be mistaken so badly as he had now. Even to himself, he still couldn't accept the truth that Annie was the Female Titan. That she had killed many members of the Survey Corps, or that she was probably the one who had called over all those Titans five years ago in Shigangina. No, he can't believe it.**

 **But as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness, he remembered the Female Titan's face, gazing down on him as she lifted off his hood, and he knew he was going to have to face this sooner or later.**

Annie sat on her bed, gazing dully at the faces before her. Armin noticed that the skin around her wrists and ankles were red and raw, obviously chafed by the shackles that bind them. There were also some cuts and bruises running along her arms and legs, and Armin shot a suspicious look at the soldiers guarding her cell. He wondered why her wounds hadn't healed yet; based from what he saw from Eren, Titan-shifters regenerate quickly.

Armin bowed his head. Standing next to him was Hange, the only person in the room who was smiling. She looked at Annie with amused eyes, as if she was some very rare specimen she couldn't wait to put her hands on — knowing Hange, that was probably exactly what she was thinking. Commander Erwin sat on the only chair available in the room. He was quite close to Annie's bed, and unlike Hange, his face revealed nothing but calmness. Lastly, there was Captain Levi, who leaned against the left wall, looking disinterested. Armin wanted to know what was on his mind.

Commander Erwin cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Ms. Leonhardt."

As a response, Annie blew a lock of hair away from her face.

"I'm sure you know why we're here," said the Commander. "We need answers, Annie, and we know that you can give them to us."

"I have nothing to tell you," she replied flatly. "You can go now. You won't get any information from me."

Commander Erwin nodded. "I see. I knew you wouldn't cooperate immediately, Ms. Leonhardt, but I do hope you change your mind."

"I won't. Now get out."

"We will. But before we go, I would just lile to remind you that we can't let you get away forever. You can refuse to talk to us, but once the higher-ups realize that we aren't making any progress here, they will deem you useless and finally execute you." he explained. Armin watched as Annie glared at the commander and clenched her fists. "Believe me when I say that it was only because of us that you weren't killed on the spot. If we hadn't fought for your custody back in the trial, the MP would have taken hold of you and put you to death the moment you got out of that crystal."

"If you think I'd help you just because you did everything to gain custody over me, then you're wrong," said Annie. "But I will thank you, though. Is that good enough for you?"

Commander Erwin smiled at her. "It kind of is. But you shouldn't be thanking me. It was Arlert who persuaded the court that you were better off with the Survey Corps."

Armin's eyes went wide at that. He shot the commander an inquiring gaze before setting his eyes on Annie, who was staring at him with a confused look. He hadn't told her about the trial and his role in it the last time they talked, but then again, they were too busy trying to hurt each other that time that Armin forgot to mention about what happened the past three years while she was gone.

"Is it true?" she asked him.

Armin nodded. "Yes."

She studied him. She was obviously pondering on why he had gone to such great lengths to help the Surveys Corps to get custody over her, and Armin hoped she wouldn't ask, because he honestly did not have any specific answer. When he had defended her during the trial, he was being fueled by his emotions, but now that he had thought about it, he did not have any particular reason for doing what he did except that he simply wanted to. Luckily, Annie let it go.

She turned her head to the side. After a few minutes, she said: "Thanks. Although I don't really need your help. Besides, why are you all intent on letting me live, anyway? I'll be a lot less suspicious if you wanted me dead like all the others; after all, I did kill your members, so I'd understand."

At this, her eyes wandered over to where Captain Levi was standing. Humanity's Strongest was unmoving, although Armin noticed his face darken on the mention of their dead comrades. The Captain hadn't said anything ever since the start of the interrogation, and Armin would have been less afraid of him if he had suddenly attacked Annie here and now instead of being quiet and calm. Being silent meant that he was planning something, and Armin's guts squirmed at the prospect of what Levi could do to Annie. Outside, the sun was gone, replaced by an inky-black sky and the moon.

"We believe that you'll be a good addition to the team. With your Titan abilities, we could easily take back Wall Maria. We plan to let you fight alongside Eren, but only if you pledge allegiance to the Survey Corps," said Commander Erwin. "Of course, you'd have to tell us everything you know first. Like, why were you trying to capture Eren Jaeger? Why is he important to you? Who are the other Titan-shifters?"

Annie looked him strain in the eye. "I told you: I. Don't. Know. You're wasting your time — you won't get anything out of me."

"That's too sad," said the Commander. "I do hope you change your mind, Miss Leonhardt. We really need you to cooperate. You being useful does not only guarantee your safety, but others as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters, if you agree to help us, the citizens would be reassured. The walls would be safer with you and Eren protecting it. Also, the officials would learn to trust you overtime as long as you do what we say."

"Do I really look like a very sympathetic person to you?"

"I know you don't care for much, Miss Leonhardt, but I do hope you would at least try for the sake of those who fought for you when nobody else would."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Miss Leonhardt, if you don't prove to be useful, the government would not only be executing you, but the person who personally vouched for you as well."

Armin closed his eyes. So this was the commander's plan: to use him in order to get to her. He almost laughed. The commander should have known that it was futile; Annie hated him now — hell, maybe she even wanted him dead. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Armin opened his eyes, curious to see how this scene would play out.

"Are you telling me that —" she began.

"Yes," replied Commander Erwin tersely. "They'd execute Armin, too, since he was the one who had defended you during the trial. It was him who had given the idea, actually. If I remember correctly, he said that they could kill him anytime as long as they hand you over."

Levi turned his gaze to the blond-haired girl, waiting for her reaction. Next to him, Hange had a serious look on her face, and Armin knew then that the commander wasn't bluffing. He guessed that he shouldn't be surprised — maybe the only reason he was still alive until now was because the officials saw him as a leverage against Annie. So both their fates rested on Annie's hands now. Armin anxiously waited for Annie to speak, to tell them that she did not care, that she was ready to die and bring him along with her to the grave.

"I see," she said quietly. "I… I'll think about it."

If the commander felt anything about her reply, he did not show it. Instead he smiled and stood up, saying, "We'll let you think, but I have to admit that we don't have much time. We need to start with the questioning again, and Hange will begin her experiments tomorrow. However, it was still nice talking to you, Miss Leonhardt. Good night."

The commander left, Hange and Levi following him. Armin remained. He stood awkwardly by the door, wanting to say something, to thank her maybe, but he couldn't find the right words to say.

"Is it true what the commander said? They're really going to kill you?" Annie suddenly asked.

"Yes," he said. "I'm pretty sure they'd been longing to do that. They'll love to have an excuse to finally get rid of me."

Annie did not say anything. She pulled her knees up to her chest, the chains clacking with the movement. She took a deep breath, and Armin watched her with fascination. After all these time, he was still mesmerized by every simple thing she does.

"I'll keep you alive," Annie whispered to herself. Armin stared at her. She was looking out the window as if she was lost in some unknown place. After a few seconds, she snapped out of her daze and told him in a low voice, "I promised that to myself — I'll let you live, no matter what."

Armin did not know why she was suddenly telling him this, but he nodded his head nonetheless.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For keeping your promises."

She frowned. Armin left, leaving Annie behind, curled up and with her head buried in her knees.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

AN: And finally, I'm back! I'm sorry if it took a while, but I was busy with some academic stuff (which is a LOT, and is totally STRESSFUL). Aside from that, I just found out the other day that my crush likes our other classmate — who is, coincidentally, my best friend's crush —and so he and I spent the afternoon chatting about all the things we don't like about them, which really helped. Hahaha. I also stuffed myself full with my dad's chicken sandwiches while watching Pacific Rim on repeat just to get over my utter heartbreak. Yeah, I looked like a total loser this past week.

Anyway, I'm glad for all the positive responses regarding chapter sixteen; once again, thank you for all the reviews and everything. It gives me so much happiness. To Natasha Calli, welcome to Temporary Bliss, and I am glad to know that you're liking the story so far.

The song inspiration for this one is "Sorry" by Halsey. Her new album is just full of inspiration, seriously.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Seventeen

Armin read to her. He read to her in the same manner he did all those years ago, when Annie had visited him at the infirmary after she had accidentally punched him instead of Ymir. That was when they had their very first bet, she remembered with a mixture of fondness and bitterness.

Everything about him seemed to come along with those two emotions, from the way he touched her during her daily check-ups with him and Hange, to the way his eyebrow rose whenever she made a sarcastic comment under her breath, and every damn time he read to her. During these times, when everything he did reminded her of the memories they shared, Annie tried to focus more on the bitterness — she cannot afford to get attached to him again.

He read to her the way an old friend would: gentle, steady, and with familiarity. He pronounced the words slowly and clearly, as if savoring them, and knowing him, maybe that was exactly what he was doing. Annie was surprised that he even took the time to come to her and read only a chapter per visit — she knew he could finish a thick volume in a day if he wanted to. Even so, she kept quiet. Armin never asked for her permission whenever he came by, a book in hand and ready to read, and she never tried to stop him, either.

Why she did not try to push him away, she had no idea. All she did whenever he came by was lay down in bed and face the wall, her back turned to him, giving the impression that she wasn't listening. She had hoped at first that if she looked uninterested, Armin would take that as a cue and leave her alone. Her plan did not work, though — he was unwavering in his task, and soon enough Annie gave up any attempt at dissuading him.

His visits would often last for hours, and by the time he left, the moon was already high in the night sky. There were times when Annie hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep during their reading sessions, and every time she woke up the next morning, a blanket had already been draped over her. She wasn't dense; she knew it was Armin who had put it over her. His chair would always be a few meters nearer than when she had been awake.

Although Armin visited her daily, he never once tried to speak with her. She thought that with his life depending on her, he'd be trying his best to convince her to cooperate with the Survey Corps every chance he got, but so far, he did not say a word. Annie wanted to be suspicious — he did, after all, betray her — but she realized with horror that her resolve was crumbling bit by bit every time she heard his steady voice fill the room with whatever words he was reading. Many things had changed about him, but much to Annie's comfort and relief, his voice remained the same. Annie often closed her eyes and pretended that they were back in the infirmary six years ago, that the Armin who was reading to her now was the same bright-eyed boy from before, but she was pulled back to reality every time by the soft clanking of the chains binding her ankles.

That afternoon, Annie was in her usual position, curled up in bed and staring at the stone wall before her. Hange had just finished conducting another experiment on her (this time getting her height and weight and checking every part of her body), for they had discovered yesterday that Annie had been growing exceptionally fast. Her body was trying to fill up the three years she had missed, and Hange and she had watched with awe as her hair became longer, her feet and hands grew, and her curves became sharper and more pronounced. Hange had been very ecstatic that morning, and she pulled Armin out with her to help her analyze all the charts she kept about Annie's daily growth.

So now Annie was alone with nothing but her thoughts to accompany her. She turned over and gazed at the sunlight coming through the window and hitting the floor of her cell. She wondered what time it was. Shouldn't Armin be here already? What was taking him so long? She mentally scolded herself for thinking this way; he was the reason she was lying in an underground prison right now, and yet here she was, actually looking forward to seeing him.

She shook her head. This was exactly why she hated him; he could make her so confused without even trying. It wasn't enough that he visited her daily. No, he had to bring her a fresh batch of clothes everyday, had to walk her through the small courtyard outside despite her guards' protest, and even treat the small wounds she acquired during Hange's more brutal experiments. Annie remembered what Hange had told her, about Armin's frequent visits to her crystal, and his apparent guilt over what he did. She did not know what to believe anymore. His actions seemed genuine, but that was exactly what was bothering her — how could she possibly just leave him to his death when he had shown nothing but kindness to her?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cell door opening. She looked up, expecting to see Armin with his usual smile, but was surprised to see Bertholdt and Reiner entering her room and closing the door behind them. Annie sat up, eyeing the two of them, who stood across from her. She noticed that they had their Survey Corps jackets on, and her mouth twisted in disgust. So they were still playing the part of good soldiers; seemed like they hadn't changed, after all.

"Annie, it's nice to see you again," said Bertholdt in a hushed tone. "We were worried about you."

Reiner nodded. "We wanted to visit you sooner, but it took a while to convince the Commander to let us see you."

"We're glad you're alright. Armin said Hange was doing some experiments on you, and we were afraid they'd hurt you." said Bertholdt.

"I'm fine." she replied, looking from him to Reiner. "What are you doing here?"

They walked up to her. Reiner knelt next to her bed and said in a low voice, "We're getting you out of here."

She leaned away from him. "What? How?"

Reiner glanced at Bertholdt and said: "We're going to use my Titan form. We'll steal an ODM gear for you to use, so that you and Bertholdt can ride on my shoulders."

"Are you insane?" she asked. She sniggered. "You're going to transform here inside Wall Sina?"

"What?" said Reiner. "You did it before."

Annie shook her head, trying to erase the memory from her mind. "That was different. The Survey Corps will capture you. It's a long run from here to Wall Maria — Eren will try to stop you."

"Then we'll all transform. He can't possibly fight three Titans at once. He'd be outnumbered."

"You mean you're ready to reveal your true identity to them?" said Annie, incredulous. "Have you forgotten why we were sent here, Reiner? We're suppose to return with the Coordinate, and how do you expect Eren to come with us after he finds out that you two are the reason his town got destroyed and his mom died?"

Bertholdt's face darkened. "I know we won't be able to convince him to join us, but… he has no choice. We'll take him by force. We can do it, the three of us."

Annie raised her eyebrows. There was something strange about the both of them. They were too eager, too desperate to get away from there. She knew that despite them being spies, Bertholdt and Reiner honestly liked to be in the military with their friends, something that she once despised them for. What changed?

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you suddenly want to go back?"

The two men lowered their eyes. Annie observed how Bertholdt's shoulders sagged under his shirt, and how tightly Reiner was clenching his fists. She knew then that they were tired: tired of their duty, tired of pretending, tired of living. She understood them; she knew those feelings quite well. She wanted to go home and see her father again, but she knew that if she went with them, there was no turning back.

If she escaped, Armin was going to be executed — that was, of course, assuming that they did not kill him first. Annie was sure that he was going to try and stop them along with the other Scouts, and if worse comes to worst, they'd have no choice but to end his life.

She studied her palms, which still had some scars. Her wounds were healing quickly now, which meant that her Titan powers were about to come back. Reiner was right: there was no way Eren could beat the three of them, and if they really tried, they just might be able to take out everyone who would stand in their way. But was she ready to do it? Was she prepared to get blood on her hands again?

"Annie," said Reiner. "Don't you miss our village? We do. We miss it so much. We want to go home, Annie. We don't want to pretend anymore. When you were captured, we realized that despite all the good relationships we may have created here, it still wouldn't stop them from killing us once we reveal who we really are. So please, Annie, come with us. Let's get away from here. Let's go home."

Annie closed her eyes. She thought about their old house and all the time she had spent there training under her father's guidance. _The whole world may turn against you, but remember that I will always be on your side._ Those were her father's words. She wanted to go back, to see if what he had said was true — if she ever came home empty-handed, would he bestow her an embrace she had been aching to get from him all her life?

Annie sighed. "I don't know. The plan is too dangerous. We should probably think it over. Let's try to think of an alternative — one were there would be lesser bloodshed and a quicker escape."

Bertholdt nodded. "Well, I guess you're right."

"Okay," said Reiner. "We'll give you a month to think about it. But if you don't come up with a better plan, we'll do the original one and get out of here using our Titan forms, okay?"

"Alright," said Annie.

They stood up, brushing dirt off their pants. Bertholdt squeezed her hand before following Reiner out. Annie watched them go with a heavy heart, a hundred thoughts all swirling around her mind at the same time, but before she could dwell on the matter any further, the door opened once more to reveal Armin.

He gave her his usual tentative smile and pulled the chair over to the front of her bed. Wordlessly, he sat down and nodded to her as he opened the book over to the final chapter. Annie, instead of turning away from him, pulled her knees up to her chest and sat there, gazing at him.

Armin raised an eyebrow, but he smiled nonetheless. Annie kept her eyes on him as he started to read.

 **Annie was running again. She was now heading towards Eren's location, which Reiner had written on her palm using his double blades. She took down Scout after Scout as she neared him, and she felt powerful and invincible, things her father wanted her to be. She knew it was wrong to feel this way when she was practically killing people left and right, but she did not care, for her only focus now was to take back the Coordinate.**

 **She reached Eren, who was flanked by Captain Levi's whole squad. They kept on going deeper into the forest, and although it was obvious that Eren wanted to help his comrades from the way he was screaming and shaking his head, they continued on. Annie was hoping he'd do something reckless, like transform or use his ODM gear to try and kill her, something that would make her task easier, but she guessed she had underestimated him. Looked like he had finally learned.**

 **She increased her pace. Annie saw everyone panic and shout at their Captain, but Levi gave them no heed. He simply pulled out a smoke gun from his cloak and shot its empty barrel into the sky, effectively silencing his subordinates. She smirked — what a dramatic thing to do.**

 **Annie suddenly stopped when she caught a glimpse of the Survey Corps Commander standing on one of the tree's thick branches, apparently waiting for her. She covered her nape just in time for the grappling hooks to be shot at her, the sharp points digging into every part of her body, keeping her in place. They were deep into her skin, and a few even stuck to her eyes. So this was why Captain Levi did not try to fight her; he was leading her into a trap. As she exhaled, more hooks were shot at her, making booming sounds as they were released from their barrels.**

 **Several soldiers tried to cut her fingers off, but their blades got broken by the crystal she had covered her hand with. She had to protect the back of her neck no matter what; she can't let them get their hands on her. She glanced at Command Erwin, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. She had to get out of there. She was certain he had planned all this out in order to capture her alive, and Annie cannot afford that, not when she still hadn't caught Eren.**

 **She tried to move, but it was impossible. She was trapped. There was no escape.**

"They went on their separate ways, walking further away from each other, not once looking back." said Armin, his eyes following the lines on the page. "The sky turned gray and rain began to fall, erasing the footprints the lovers had left on the dirt. The end."

Armin sighed and closed the book. He looked up at Annie, who remained where she was, but her eyes were now settled on the floor instead of him. Annie thought about the story's ending and can't help but be bothered by its conclusion. Was that it? Was everything bound to end up in tragedy? If so, she wondered why people even fell in love in the first place. If they hadn't let themselves be carried away by their feelings, they could have spared themselves the eventual heartbreak. _Humans are so feebleminded and fragile_ , she thought.

"Armin," she said. It was the first time she had spoken to him ever since the interrogation.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Why do you think people fall in love when they'll only get hurt in the end, anyway?" she asked.

He leaned back on his chair, thinking. He had an amused smile on his face, as if her question intrigued him. He set the book aside and looked at Annie straight in the eye.

"I think it's because people are always willing to take risks when it comes to the things they believe in. Like all things in life, you never know what will happen until you try — same with love. You don't know whether it will end in tragedy or not, but you go with it anyway, simply because it is a wonderful thing to experience. And who knows? Maybe you'll actually find something worthwhile," he replied. "However, there are people who are fated to fall in love, but aren't destined to be together."

"And do you think we're one of those people?" asked Annie quietly.

"Right now, I don't know," he answered honestly. "I'd like to think that our story has yet to reach its ending."

"If there's anything that I'm certain of, that ending's not going to be a 'And they lived happily ever after' kind of ending," she said.

"I don't think there's a " happily ever after" anywhere."

"You mean everything ends up in tragedy?"

"No," he said, standing up. "What I mean is that no person has no problems."

She smiled slightly. "You're right."

He picked up his book, but before he left he turned back to her and said, "Annie?"

"Yes?"

"Tragedies can always be avoided, you know. All you have to do is make the right choices."

She lay down in bed, staring at the ceiling. "I don't even know what's right or wrong anymore."

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly, almost as if he was talking to himself. "Always choose something that will leave you with no regrets."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"I do."

"What is it?"

"I ruined something that was probably worthwhile."

He opened the door and left her there, lying in the dark and wondering.

"Yeah," she said to the empty room. "We regret the same thing."


	20. Chapter Eighteen

AN: Surprise! Back-to-back updates, everybody. You didn't see that coming, did you? There is a reason to this, though — TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY! *insert balloons and confetti* Hell yeah! So as a treat for you guys, I decided to upload another chapter. This is my way of saying thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews you have given me. Also, since it is my birthday, I'll give you a chance to ask me anything — what my favorite color is, do I scream like a maniac during basketball games (the answer to that is yes), that kind of stuff. I'll try to upload my answers once I have gathered all your questions.

And if it isn't too much of a hassle, do check out my other fanfic, Drama Club. It's light, it's funny, it's AU, and it is definitely crazy. Hahaha. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Eighteen

"Woah, Armin. It's been a long time since you ate with us. I thought you were too important now, what with you always assisting Hange."

Armin smiled at Connie's statement. He knew Connie was only joking, and what he said was actually true; it's been months since he last spent time with his friends. He had been very busy helping Hange with her experiments, and when he did get some free time, he always spent them at Annie's cell, reading to her or tending her wounds. Armin knew he was kind of neglecting his friends lately (which Eren and Mikasa was constantly complaining about), so today he decided to at least have breakfast with them.

"Sorry," he replied, smiling. "I had a lot to do. Hange wouldn't let me get any rest."

"That sucks," said Ymir. "That's what you get for being the only person here with brains."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Connie asked her.

"It means you're stupid."

"Why you —"

Armin laughed and turned to his two best friends, who sat across from him. Eren was busy arguing with Jean about something, while Mikasa simply rolled her eyes and gave Armin a look which plainly said she'd had enough. She grabbed a loaf of bread and shoved it into Eren's mouth before he could respond to whatever it was Jean had said. Jean laughed hard at the look on Eren's face and proceeded into getting another bowl of soup.

Eren's eyes widened. He coughed the bread out and turned to Mikasa. "What the hell?"

"You were being too loud," she explained flatly. "Besides, I thought you wanted to spend time with Armin, not Jean."

He still looked miffed, but he nodded nonetheless. "Of course. Hey Armin, what's that?"

He pointed at the paper tucked under Armin's tray. Armin picked up the document, studying the wax seal with the Survey Corps insignia placed above Hange's signature. He handed it to Eren, who studied it along with Mikasa. He noticed them frown as they read its contents, and he couldn't really blame them.

"Is this true?" he asked.

Armin nodded. "Yes. Apparently, Annie had agreed to help us, so now Hange wants to ask permission from the higher-ups to allow her to conduct experiments with Annie in her Titan form."

"In short, she's going to be transforming again," said Mikasa. "Are you sure about this?"

"It's not really my place to decide," said Armin, shrugging. "I trust Hange and Commander Erwin's judgment. I believe they know what they're doing. If they think it's safe for Annie to transform again, then I guess it really is."

"I trust Hange and the Commander," said Mikasa sharply. "I don't trust her. Who's to say that this isn't just some elaborate plan on her part? What if she transforms and then tries to escape?"

By now, everyone in the table was looking at Armin, waiting for his answer. He knew that what Mikasa had said was true, but he never questioned the Commander's decisions. He was certain that he had already thought of the scenario Mikasa had suggested, and if Armin knew anything about Commander Erwin, it was that he always had a plan.

"All I know is that Annie has finally agreed to help us after months of trying to get information out of her," he said evenly. "And if she has any ulterior motives, well, I'm pretty sure Captain Levi isn't just going to sit around and let her leave." he looked around his friends. "And so do you, I suppose."

He directed the last line to Mikasa, who gripped her spoon tightly in her hand. "Of course," she said. "If Annie tries to take Eren away again, I'll be there to stop her. And this time, I won't be aiming for just her fingers."

Armin gulped. He knew Mikasa wasn't kidding. She had never liked Annie, but ever since they found out that she was the Female Titan and was the one who tried to capture Eren, Mikasa's dislike had turned into pure hatred. If Annie made one wrong move, Armin was certain she wouldn't think twice about killing her. He had to make sure that that wouldn't happen.

He'd been visiting Annie daily for almost two months now, and just yesterday, before he had left her cell after finishing his book, she had spoken to him. It was the first time she had voluntarily talked to him after their confrontation months ago when she had gotten out of her crystal, and Armin was surprised with her words: _Why do people fall in live when they'll only get hurt, anyway?_ He wondered why she had asked him that. Was that what she thought they were — another tragic story, and nothing more? He hoped not. He had told her that he believed their story hadn't reached its end yet, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that they would have a proper conclusion; but whether or not that conclusion involved them being together again, he did not know.

He gazed at his best friends, and he knew that if they all thought like Mikasa, then sooner or later he would have to fight them. He wasn't going to help Annie if she really did plan to escape, but he did intend to win her over to their side even if it meant getting the scorn of his fellow soldiers. That was a small price to pay after betraying her, after all.

Reiner cleared his throat. "Let's just wait and see. I'm sure the Commander has his reasons, and if we can't trust him, then we can't trust anyone."

"Yeah," said Christa with enthusiasm. "And I'm glad Annie is on our side now. She will be a huge help to the Survey Corps."

Ymir put her arm around the small blond. "That's my Christa, always so hopeful."

"I don't really care," said Eren. "All I know is that I wouldn't believe her until I see her cooperating with us myself. And Armin —"

Armin looked up at his best friend, his eyebrows raised.

"I know you want her to be good again, and if you think that she really has changed, then… that's fine with me. I trust you."

The others nodded along with Eren's words. Armin smiled gratefully at them. They may not accept Annie, but they were pretty accepting of him. They respected his decisions, and most importantly, believed in him. He studied each of their faces, and he promised to himself that he would not let them down; he wouldn't let anybody down — not the Survey Corps, not his friends, and not even Annie. He'd find a way to make them all ends meet no matter what happens — even if it meant making sacrifices.

 **"What was that?" asked Jean. He looked around them wildly, swinging his blades as if to fend off an enemy.** **He and Armin had been standing on one of the huge branches overlooking the field, keeping a look out for any approaching Titans, when a sudden scream pierced the air, making the birds fly off into the distance. There was something strange about that scream; it made the hairs on the back of Armin's neck stand.**

 **He looked at his comrades, who were settled on the branches nearby, and saw that all of them had been startled by the sound.** **Armin felt his pulse quicken. What was happening in there? He figured that Commander Erwin had deliberately lead the Female Titan into the forest and had probably captured it, but whether he was successful or not, he did not know. He had a nagging suspicion that the scream came from the Female Titan, and he did not know whether that scream meant she was trapped or she was savagely attacking everyone around her. He hoped for the former.**

 ** _Boom! Boom! Boom!_**

 **"What the hell?" shouted Ymir. "What's happening?"**

 **All of the Titans who had been trying to climb the trees and reach them started running towards the forest. The senior Scouts moved in to kill them, but much to Armin's shock, the Titans paid them no mind. It seemed like they were only intent on one thing, and that was going deep into the forest.**

 ** _Why?_ Armin thought. _There are enough people in here to keep them occupied._**

 **He gripped his blades tightly, his heart pounding. Where was Eren? An image of the Female Titan running towards Eren's location flashed across his mind, along with a memory of a swarm of Titans coming in from the right wing. He had concluded that it was the Female Titan who had called them… wait. Was that what she was doing right now? Calling them to her?**

 **The last of the Titans disappeared into the woods, and everyone stared at the spot they had just gone from with astonishment. Armin's head throbbed from the injury he had acquired earlier, and he rubbed it to relieve some pain. He couldn't afford to feel any pain right now. He knew something big was about to happen — he felt like the Titan's desperate scream was a bad omen.**

 **As they surveyed the area for any remaining Titan, Jean turned to him and said, "Hey, Armin."**

 **"Yes?"**

 **"You know what's going on in there, right? I mean, you already got the whole thing figured out."**

 **Armin gazed at the fields before them. "I think so."**

 **"They tried to capture that Abnormal, didn't they? The female one?" said Jean, and his voice had a certain edge to it.**

 **"Yes. It seems like the Commander has planned that from the very start." he replied.**

 **Jean clenched his fists. "You mean he knew all this would happen? That many people will die in this mission?"**

 **"I…" he said. Yes, of course the Commander knew that. He knew that every time they ventured out into the walls, many soldiers will not make it back. Still, knowing that, he can't really do anything but to accept their inevitable deaths. That was what being a commander means; it meant making the hard decisions, and accepting whatever consequences came with them.**

 **Armin closed his eyes briefly before facing him. "You can't change anything without making any sacrifices."**

 **Jean's eyes had a hard look in them. Still, he nodded his head and went back to his post, saying nothing. Armin knew he was thinking about all the comrades that had lost that day, and Armin can't help but to think about them, too. How many lives were lost for the sake of this plan? He gritted his teeth and buried his blades into the tree's trunk.**

 **He just wished that their sacrifices weren't in vain.**

Armin walked along the corridors of HQ, the document clutched tightly in his hand. He was there to meet Darius Zackly, whose signature was needed in order for the experiments on Annie's Titan form to be conducted. He took a left turn and reached a set of double oak doors with the plaque Darius Zackly. Taking a deep breath, he raised his fist and knocked.

He entered the Supreme Commander's office. It was a spacious room, with shelves filled with books lining the walls, and two high-backed chairs facing the Commander's desk. An elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling, and white curtains covered the huge windows. At the far end of the room, with his back to the windows, was Darius Zackly himself. He sat behind his desk with his hands clasped together. He looked up when Armin had came in, and he gave the blond boy a small smile.

"Mr. Arlert, am I right? What brings you here?" he asked in his deep voice.

"I came here to hand this over to you, sir." said Armin. He walked over to the Commander's table and gave him the piece of paper with the Survey Corps seal.

Darius studied it, his eyes moving behind his half-moon glasses. Armin stood stiffly in front of him, his hands behind his back and staring straight ahead. The Commander exhaled as he put the document down, turning his gaze to Armin.

"So Ms. Leonhard has agreed to join the Surveys Corps." he said.

"She did."

"And do you think she's ready to turn her back against the people she was working with?"

"Command Erwin thinks so."

"But I'm asking you. What do you think?"

Armin sighed. "No, I don't think she's let go of her past just yet."

The Commander raised his eyebrows.

"I don't think Annie agreed because she wants to help humanity" he continued. "I think even she's confused as to what she really wants. But I think amidst all that confusion, she genuinely wants redemption, and working with us is the only way."

Darius nodded. He tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. Armin wondered why he had asked him that question; surely, he knew Commander Erwin enough to be familiar with his true intentions? He hoped his answer was enough to persuade the Supreme Commander that Annie deserved a second chance. His reply wasn't really that reassuring, but it was honest, and Armin thought that that was what he needed.

"You look confused," said Darius. "To be clear, I asked you because you seem to have the most intimate connection with her."

"If that's the case, then shouldn't the most logical thing to do was not ask me? If you think she and I really are that close, then don't you think I'd do anything to make you believe that she's on our side now?" asked Armin.

"That's true," he said. He adjusted his glasses. "And that is exactly why I asked you. If you were any other soldier, I'm sure you would have done that. But you're different, Mr. Arlert. You're smart, but most of all, you're willing to take risks. I found that out when you argued against the MP during the trial for Ms. Leonhardt's custody. You know you'd be executed if she doesn't cooperate, and yet you never forced her to work with us."

"I never forced her because I'm sure she wouldn't change her mind even if I tried."

"Ahh. But you never tried because you never had the intention to force her in the first place."

"Yes, I never did."

"Why?"

Armin gave him a level stare. "Because I wanted to give her a choice."

"Many people would say that she doesn't have a choice; that she doesn't even deserve to be alive at all."

"I know. But at the end of the day, their opinions doesn't really matter, does it? What they fail to realize is that Annie is just like us — she has regrets, too. She makes mistakes. She's susceptible to defeat. She has feelings. And that is why I wanted her to choose her own path. I wanted to at least give her that small bit of humanity."

"You really did love her."

"I still love her."

Armin knew that if he said that to any other person, they would have laughed at him or looked at him in disgust. He was, after all, professing love to an enemy of humanity. But when he had stated that, he knew that nothing else he had said was more true than that. The Supreme Commander showed him neither of those two reactions, but simply gave him an amused smile as he picked up his quill and signed the document.

He gave it to Armin. "Send this back to Squad Leader Hange."

Armin saluted and turned his back to him. He looked back when he heard the Commander call his name.

"Mr. Arlert," he said. "What you said could either lead you to your success, or your downfall. Love is a tricky thing; it could cloud even the greatest mind's judgments."

"Sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Why did you give me back Annie's letters even though they were important evidence?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I just thought that you deserved to have them."

"I burned them." said Armin guiltily.

"That's too sad," he replied. "But I guess I understand why. Just think about it this way: now the slate is clean. You can start over again. This time, I hope you set everything right."

Armin nodded and saluted once more before leaving. As he stepped out of the Commander's office, he realized that what Darius had told him was exactly like the advise he had given Annie last night before he left her cell. In hindsight, it was the only thing they could do. He prayed that at the end of the road, they would both find what they were searching for.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

AN: Hey guys, and welcome to chapter nineteen. First things first. A Guest left a review and said that he's sending his sincerest pat-pats for my _shitty_ love life; if you remember, I kinda told you guys that I went through some crap regarding my crush in my AN for chapter seventeen. I don't know whether he's being sarcastic or not, but nevertheless, do tell me if my ANs annoy you or make you feel uncomfortable. I want your reading experience to be as smooth as possible, so please tell me if anything I write interferes with this. Anyway, I took his suggestion to underline the chapter name so that you can differentiate the AN from the content, since they are both in regular text now.

Also, LunaBloom, you are so right! I reread chapter eighteen and Zackly is kind of Dumbledore-ish. Hahaha. I didn't mean for him to be that way. It just happened. Harry Potter is my favorite book series, so I guess JK Rowling did rub off on me. Anyway, I hope that was a compliment, and if not, do tell me how to improve the dialogue — you know how much I value your opinion.

Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Nineteen

"Are you ready?"

Annie turned around to look at Armin, who stood under the shade of a nearby tree, a clipboard in hand. He wasn't wearing his usual Survey Corps uniform, but was instead clothed in a simple white shirt and military pants. She wondered why he had chosen to discard his jacket — summer has finally ended and a slight chill was already in the air.

On either side of him were Scouts Annie did not recognize, and she noticed that unlike Armin, they had their ODM gears on and their blades out. However, their swords weren't directed at her, but was instead subtly pointed at Armin's side. She wasn't stupid; Annie could see the threat for what it was. _Mess up and we'll kill him._

But she did not mind the two soldiers who were standing guard on Armin. It was her former comrades that she was cautious of. Her classmates from the 104th all stood at the far end of the open area with none other than Captain Levi, staring as if they were waiting for her to make a wrong move.

Eren had a hard look in his eyes as he regarded her, perhaps because he was thinking of the last time they had fought. Mikasa, she noticed, had her gear on, and seeing her face again left a bitter taste to Annie's mouth. She recalled the time when Mikasa had sliced off her fingers when she was scaling Wall Sina, and her words — _"Annie. Fall."_ — had haunted Annie's dreams since then. Still, despite their lack of a warm welcome, she knew she had to impress upon them the fact that she was trying to do good now.

A few days ago, she had told Hange and Commander Erwin that she was ready to help the Survey Corps. The two of them exchanged looks when she had said it, and Annie did not know where the hesitation was coming from — they wanted her to cooperate, right? There she was, finally telling them that she was willing to lend them her Titan powers, but all she got was a raised eyebrow and a frown. Annie felt sweat gather near her hairline. What if they found out the real reason she was doing this?

"What changed your mind?" asked Commander Erwin after a long silence.

Annie shrugged. "I simply want to get out of this cell."

"I see," he said. "That's all?"

She sighed. She knew she had to push it further. "Also... I want my friends to see that I regret what I've done and am willing to join their side. I want redemption. There's no place for me to go home now, not when I had failed to take the Coordinate."

The Commander had studied her then and eventually nodded, asking Hange to ask Supreme Commander Darius Zackly for permission. Annie felt relieved, but she also felt conflicted. When she had spoken of her reason for switching sides, the words seemed too true for her liking. The Commander's eyes roamed around her cell. She noticed that his gaze lingered on the book Armin had left on the wooden chair next to her bed, but he did not say anything.

Annie guessed that they thought that she was doing this for Armin's sake, and she almost laughed with how wrong they were. She closed her eyes as she breathed in the fresh morning air, which was crisp and cold. Annie stretched her arms up, relieving some of the tension from her sore muscles. She looked at her palms, whose wounds had completely healed now, and she knew that it was the right time.

She nodded her head towards Armin's direction to let him know that she was ready, and he said, "Alright. Annie, this is just a training exercise, so all you have to do is transform and from there follow Hange's instructions. Are we clear?"

"Yes," she replied. She lifted her hand up to her mouth and bit down on it hard.

Lighting struck the spot where she stood, and Annie felt the familiar tugging sensation in her gut. Her arms stretched, her body became heavier, and her height shot up. She watched as the ground became further and further away, and when she had lifted her gaze, she was already looking at the streets of Wall Sina and all the tiny rows of houses along them.

Someone landed on Annie's shoulder. She turned her head to see Hange standing there, holding on to a lock of her blond hair to keep her steady. She nodded and grinned widely as she took in the view before her. The brown-haired scientist let go of Annie's hair and spread her arms out, closing her eyes.

"Wow," she breathed. "It's amazing up here!"

Annie wanted to tell her that this was nothing unusual. For someone who spent the rest of her life swinging through trees and buildings using the ODM gear, Hange looked almost like she had never experienced being so high up. Annie can't say anything, however, as it would only come out as a roar, so she rolled her eyes instead, which apparently looked weird to all the people watching her.

She heard someone laughing from below. Annie bowed her head to see that Armin was looking at them, an amused smile on his face. He must have seen her earlier expression, and Annie raised her giant hand, gesturing to Hange and letting out a huff to show him her exasperation. Armin laughed again, and Annie cracked a small smile.

She marveled at how well they communicated without words, may she be in her human or Titan form. He always seemed to know what she was thinking even before she could say it out loud, which really sucked when she had thought about it. What if he found out about their escape plan? Would he try to stop her, or would he beg her to stay and remain on their side? Annie did not know, but all she knew was that hearing him laugh because of her made some small part of her giddy with happiness. Was this what life would always be like if she truly joined the Survey Corps? She did not expect it to be all smiles and joyful laughter, but she did know that it would be one of acceptance and loyalty — a thing she can't really say about the life that awaited her.

She shook her head to clear out her thoughts. Three weeks from now, she, Reiner, and Bertholdt would be escaping the walls and would be heading home. She would leave Armin and everything behind, but today she would allow herself some small bit of happiness. Annie followed Hange's instructions down to the last word, and seeing Armin's encouraging smiles made her feel like what she was doing was actually worth it. Today she could pretend that she really was a part of the Survey Corps, that she was an ally to humanity, that she was a good person like Armin had told her so many times before.

Annie took all these feelings in, and for once she was truly happy, regardless if it was only for a short while. Temporary bliss was still bliss, after all.

 **Annie was victorious. She had successfully taken Eren and was now making trying to make her way out of The Forest of Giant Trees. She felt a twinge of guilt at having killed Captain Levi's whole squad, but she reminded herself that it was a necessary thing in order to get a hold of Eren. If anything, she felt more remorse in killing Gunther more than anyone else, as she had killed him using her blades instead of her Titan form. Killing someone when she was in her human body made the whole thing much more realer, unlike when she was in her Titan form where she could distance herself away from their deaths.**

 **Annie had seen too much death, most of them brought about by her own hands. There were times when she felt like she can't even look at her hands, because if she did they'd all be covered in red no matter how hard she tried to scrub them off. When Armin held her hand, she sometimes imagined the blood sticking to his palm, too, as if just being with her made him a sinner as well. Annie always had to remind herself that everything was just an illusion and that the only real thing was her mission and her home.**

 **Home. If she got away here safely, she could finally return home.**

 **A shiver suddenly went up her spine, warning her of danger. Annie dared not to look around, but instead narrowed her eyes to the side and saw two cloaked figures moving across the trees. She recognized the Survey Corps insignia on their clothes, and she prepared herself for a fight. Annie waited for the right time to strike, and when she had felt one of them closing in, she suddenly turned around and punched.**

 **She hadn't expected Captain Levi to dodge her attack and cut his way through her arm, though. She watched with wide eyes as he spun across her skinless arm until he was face to face with her. She only had time to look at him fearfully before he buried his blades through her irises, robbing Annie of her sight. She stumbled back, clutching her ruined eyes, as Captain Levi sliced off her ankles, which knocked her off her feet. Annie fell down on her butt, and Humanity's Strongest continued on with his onslaught, cutting off her underarms, her knees, the back of her legs, every part of her being. Annie couldn't really feel much in her Titan form, but for some reason, Captain Levi's hits sent pain lancing up her body.**

 **Captain Levi sliced off Annie's jaw, making her mouth drip open. He hopped on her teeth and took Eren, and all Annie could think about was, _No, please don't take him. We need him._ But even if she could speak, she doubted Mikasa and Captain Levi would listen to her.** **She heard them go off, leaving her defeated form leaning against a giant tree. Annie could feel tears flowing down her eyes, unaware that the action was replicated on her Titan form. She knew she shouldn't have celebrated her capture of Eren too early — he had people who would do anything to bring him back, unlike her. In The Forest of Giant Trees, it was only her. It always was.**

Annie sat under the shade of a nearby tree, resting. Her training had just finished, and she waited as Hange and Armin went off to report her progress to Commander Erwin. She raised her head to the sky to avoid the soldiers' judgmental looks, but her view was blocked by several people standing before her.

Annie bit her lip. In front of her was the whole squad: Eren, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, Jean, Ymir, Christa, Reiner, and Bertholdt. She clutched the flask tightly in her hand, waiting for them to speak.

"So you finally decided to help us," said Eren levelly.

She nodded. "I did. That's the plan all along, wasn't it? Wasn't that the reason the Survey Corps fought for my custody?"

Christa smiled and reached her hand out to her. "Yes, it is. We're glad you came around, Annie."

"Christa's right," said Reiner. _You know exactly why I'm doing this, Reiner._ Annie threw him a dirty look, but all he did was shrug.

She turned away from Reiner and looked at the small blond. Annie was still surprised with how effortlessly kind Christa was. _She hasn't changed, has she?_ Annie gingerly took her hand, but quickly let go. She noticed the others still giving her with suspicious looks, but she tried to ignore them and focused on Christa's warm smile instead.

Annie stood up and said, "What do you want from me?"

Jean looked scandalized. "After everything you did, I'm surprised you even have the nerve to ask us that."

"I —" she began, but her words was cut off by a fist suddenly slamming on her jaw.

Annie took several steps back, dizzy, as she held a hand to her swollen cheek. She glanced up to see Eren being restrained by Mikasa, but there was no need. The brunette had already put his arm down and was looking at Annie with a flat stare.

"I had to do that," he said. "It would make working with you so much easier."

Annie nodded, understanding. She spat some blood on the dirt and wiped the side of her mouth with her sleeve. "I deserved that," she said.

Mikasa's face darkened. "You deserve more than that."

"Punch me then," Annie told her. "Slap me. Stab me. Take turns, if you want. I'll accept everything you throw at me without complain. If that's what will make you feel better, then it's alright with me."

"I'd love to," said Jean dryly.

Connie shook his head. "We won't do that."

"Yeah," agreed Sasha. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Not all of you share the same opinion, then," said Annie, gazing at Eren, Mikasa and Jean. "But whatever. I'm on your side now, so we might as well try our best to work together."

"Of course," said Mikasa. She gave Annie a sharp look. "Armin believes in you, so we have no choice but to do so, too."

 _Does he?_ she wanted to say, but she stopped herself. Mikasa's words were like a slap to her face. Here she was, parading around as humanity's newest ally, when in truth she was only doing it in order to escape, which would guarantee Armin's death. She wondered if Mikasa would kill her here and now if she ever knew of their plan. Knowing her, she probably would.

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt him," she said, because she knew that was what they wanted to hear. "I've changed. I want to redeem myself."

Eren was unimpressed. "Prove it, then."

The rest left her, but Mikasa stayed behind. She pointed her blade at Annie, who remained rooted to her spot. Mikasa had a dangerous glint in her eyes, and Annie noticed some of the soldiers watching them, waiting to see if they should interfere. Captain Levi took a few steps forward. Annie gave the black-haired girl a challenging stare; she knew she couldn't hurt her here. Mikasa gritted her teeth and lowered her blade.

"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because of Armin. Do anything to him, or try and take away Eren again, and believe me I will personally send you to your death." she threatened, and with that she walked off, following her friends.

Annie hadn't realized that she was holding her breath. She exhaled as she threw the flask to the ground, its contents spilling over the grass. She held her head in her hands and closed her eyes. Christa's smile and Connie and Sasha's refusal to hurt her came to mind, and she pretended that those were the only real things in the world. She was tired of the anger, the hate, the loss. She would let herself live in that illusion of smiles and friendship as long as she was still trapped inside the walls.

"Annie?"

Annie opened her eyes and saw Armin with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She touched the spot where Eren had punched her. Annie wanted to tell him what had happened, but all she did was shook her head. Armin did not push her, but merely nodded and said, "Come on, I'll escort you back to your new room."

They walked in silence, and Annie noticed that they were still heading towards the underground cells. When Armin saw her confusion, he nudged her elbow and said, "It's fine. You won't be going back to your cell. You'll see."

They turned a corner, away from the hall that lead towards the prison, and Armin lead her to a set of wooden stairs that led to a small tower, and up there, she saw, a simple, brown door with a rusty knocker waited.

"This is your room," said Armin. "It used to be the head of security's quarters, but it was long since abandoned. Technically, it's still underground, but hey, it's better than your cell, right?"

Annie shrugged and pushed the door open. The room was circular, with a wood paneled floor and a single, rose window. The bed was pushed to the left side of the wall opposite her wardrobe, and two rickety chairs was placed in the middle. Another door lead to what she supposed was the bathroom, and a mirror had been hung above her bed. It wasn't much, but Annie still appreciated the change. She would no longer be back in her dark and gloomy cell, bound in shackles and waiting for food rations. Being inside this room made her feel vaguely human again.

She walked over to the window and opened it. The fading sunlight came through her room, and Annie smiled with amusement when she saw that her room faced a large tree in the courtyard. She was awed with how large the HQ was — she could have sworn the courtyard was on the other side of the area.

"It's wonderful," she said.

Armin smiled. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. And, uh, you might want to treat that bruise on your cheek."

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine."

"Alright," he said. "Eren packs quite a punch, does he?"

"How —"

"Do I really have to explain?"

"Actually, no."

Armin laughed softly and turned around. "I'll be off. Hange's waiting. She's... being way too enthusiastic, if you know what I mean."

Annie nodded. "Thank you."

Armin raised his eyebrow, smiling slightly. "You're welcome, I guess."

"No," she said, and she did not know why she wouldn't stop talking. "I mean it. Thank you. Remember that, okay?"

Armin gazed at her. Annie knew she sounded strange, but she kept her eyes on the view outside her window, not wanting to see his face. He must have caught the hint of a farewell in her words, but he did not say anything. She waited until she heard the door close behind him, and she snuck out through her window to meet Reiner and Bertholdt.


	22. Chapter Twenty

AN: And after what felt like forever, I am finally back. Sorry if this update took some time to upload; I've been pretty busy with some stuff (Anime, academics, anime, friends, and anime). Also, I don't know whether it's my fanfiction app or my internet connection, but my chapter took forever to get saved and uploaded. Like, foreeeever. I almost threw my phone through the window in my frustration.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear from you again, xDollfie! It's good to know that you're still following the fic's progress. Also, LunaBloom, like I told Scattershot98 back then, I already have the ending planned out — I just hope it wouldn't be a disappointment. And I think you know me too well, because you're right when you said that I liked tragedy! Also, I'm happy to hear that you're listening to my song recommendations, Natasha Calli. Don't worry, I'll list all of them at the end of the fic.

Also, welcome to this fic franzelleangela28!

The song inspiration for this chapter is "High Hopes" by Kodaline.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Twenty

"Her training with Eren starts tomorrow, correct?"

Armin continued to decipher the notes Hange had made on her notepad and wrote them down on a parchment, his movements slow and methodical. His eyes were focused on the task at hand, ignoring everything else, and he had not even realized that the commander had spoken. He felt someone tap his elbow, and he looked up to see Hange with an apologetic smile on her face. She shrugged and pointed at Commander Erwin, who continued to look at Armin expectantly. _Oh. He was talking to me._

Armin cleared his throat. "Sorry, Commander Erwin. I spaced out. What was the question again?"

Hange laughed. "Are you sure you're getting enough sleep?"

"Lately, no," he said sheepishly. "You've been kind of asking me to do a lot of things."

"Oh," she said. She patted his back. "But you're my assistant now! Moblit's more than happy to let you take all the work, apparently."

"So?" the commander prodded. "Is Ms. Leonhardt ready to train with Eren?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Armin slowly. He squeezed his hands together.

"I've already done every experiment I could with her Titan form. I think it's about time that we put her into use," added Hange. "Eren has already agreed to it. It would be a great opportunity for him to hone his skills, too. Maybe he could even learn how to properly control his powers from Annie."

"Commander, can I ask you something?" Armin said suddenly.

He raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Don't you think we're taking this too fast?" he said. "It's only been about three months since Annie came out of her crystal, and yet you're already putting her into vigorous training. I don't know. It just feels... rushed."

"What do you mean?" said Commander Erwin.

"I don't want to sound like I'm against the Survey Corps," replied Armin. "But training with Eren this early on — don't you think it's kind of a bad move on our part? I still don't know whether Eren has already forgiven her or not, and I just thought, if he goes berserk again..."

"Are you worried about her?" he asked.

"What?"

"Are you afraid that Eren might hurt her?"

"No! I-it's the opposite, actually. And Annie would kill me if she found out that I thought she was weak enough to get beaten by Eren."

Commander Erwin smiled slightly. "Then it's fine. I'm sure Eren will listen to you if you talk to him. And I think she would, too."

"In not sure about either of that," muttered Armin. Sure, Eren valued his opinion and often listened to his counsel, but he was hard to rein in when he goes all Titan mode. Annie, on the other hand, was a completely different case. Armin doubt he'd be able to stop them if their combat training ever turned into a full on fight.

"Also, to answer your question regarding Annie's training," the commander continued. He turned to the window and gazed towards the streets below. "You were right when you said that we're doing it in a hurry. But the truth is that I'm trying to prepare Annie for our upcoming expedition this month."

"This month?" said Armin, surprised. "But I thought the next expedition wasn't due until next year? Also, you're taking Annie with us? You're letting her go beyond the walls?"

"Easy with the questions, Armin," said Hange. She turned toward the commander. "Erwin, regarding the expedition, don't you think it's only right that we tell him why we're suddenly doing it?"

Commander Erwin nodded. "Armin, we're going to capture the other Titan shifters."

Armin's eyes went wide. "You mean you've already identified them?"

"I guess you could say that," said Hange seriously. "If everything goes according to plan, then we might be able to catch them."

Other Titan shifters? Armin's head was spinning. He knew there were others like Eren and Annie living inside the walls, but if the commander planned to capture them in an expedition, then that only meant that he thought that they were part of the military, or more specifically, the Survey Corps. Who are they? Who else can turn into a Titan? And where did Hange and the commander even get that information?

"Who?" he said.

"Huh?" said Hange.

"You said you know who could be the other Titan shifters. Who do you think it is, then?"

"Two former members of the 104th," answered Commander Erwin, gazing at him. "Their names are Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover. We believe that they may be the Armored and Colossal Titans who destroyed Wall Maria five years ago."

Reiner and Bertholdt. It did not make sense; those two were some of the kindest people in the 104th. They couldn't be the Titans, much less the Armored and the Colossal. If they were, then that meant that all the suffering he, Eren, and Mikasa went through during those years after the fall were their doing. Eren's mother, his grandfather... all dead, because of them. How could they? How could the two of them even look at Armin in the eye and not be filled with guilt?

"During the 57th expedition," said Armin, and both adults turned to him. "Reiner, he — he must have told Annie where Eren was in the formation. That's right, I told him where I thought Eren was located, and he must have written them on Annie's palm using his blades when she caught him, she —" he stopped short when a sudden thought occurred to him. "Annie..."

"Armin?" said Hange. "Are you alright?"

"She told you," said Armin, looking at the commander. "When?"

Command Erwin nodded and allowed himself a small smile. "You were not the only one making constant visits to Annie's cell. Do you actually think I'll let her roam free without anything in return?"

"She never told me," he said quietly. "How —"

"We did not torture the information out of her, if that's what you're going to ask." said the commander.

Armin's face flushed. "Sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"It's alright," he said. "I know you only want what's best for her. She told me that they originally had a plan to escape, so she had been meeting with them in secret for quite some time now. Exchanging information they have gathered, planning their route, etc. She's reporting everything to Hange and I, of course."

Armin nodded, his face still red. He said, "I see. You had all this planned out."

"Why do you think I transferred her to a room with such a convenient way of escape?" he replied. He shook his head. "Do you really think that the higher-ups would have let Annie live in a room with any windows at all?"

"You're right, sir," said Armin. "But how could you be so sure that she isn't toying with you? How could you be so certain that her reports aren't false?"

Commander Erwin raised an eyebrow at him. "Is this suspicion I'm hearing? I'd have thought that you of all people wouldn't doubt her."

"I want her to be on our side, I really do," replied Armin. "I already forgave her, everyone knows that. But if we just forget everything and ignore the past, then we hadn't learned anything at all then."

The commander looked at him evenly. He stepped forward and put a hand to Armin's shoulder. Armin looked up to meet the commander's eyes and was surprised to see him smiling widely.

"I'm pleased," said Commander Erwin. "Hange and Levi was right — you are one of the best soldiers we had."

"What about the others? Does Eren know about this?" said Armin. He felt uncomfortable with the compliment.

"We haven't told them yet," said Hange. The commander looked serious again. "But we will brief them before the expedition. We have to be careful. After Annie's capture, I'm pretty sure the Titan shifters have become more cautious." she sighed and clenched her fist. "We want to do this right this time. After what happened in the 57th expedition, well, let's just say that we want to minimize the casualties."

Armin understood her. The 57th expedition was hell. He could remember it all: the pain both physically and emotionally, the exhaustion from the fighting, the hurt of seeing your comrades die and be left behind.

 **"Titans!" shouted a Scout from the back.**

 **"What?" said Jean. He whirled around to look behind him, and sure enough, a horde of Titans were running after them. "Shit!"**

 **Armin, who was riding beside him, spurred his horse forward. He went alongside the cart that carried the dead bodies, and he looked at them, knowing that the only way to slow down the Titans was to throw the bodies in their path. Armin bit his lip. He can't voice out his suggestion — no matter how he looked at it, it sounded heartless.**

 **But it seemed like he did not have to. Captain Levi called their attention and said, "Release the corpses! We can't do much against them in an open field. It's the only way."**

 **"What?" said a Scout incredulously. "You want us to leave all of them behind?"**

 **"A lot of bodies did not make it back in previous expeditions," replied Captain Levi.**

 **A Titan had caught up to them. Those in the rear screamed and turned their horses to avoid the Titan, but before it could grab someone, Mikasa shot her grappling hook to its body and sliced its nape. The Titan landed with a loud thud, and Mikasa looked on at the incoming onslaught.**

 **Captain Levi ordered, "Do it now, or we'll all die."**

 **The men opened the cart, and one by one they pushed the dead bodies off it and into the ground. The corpses rolled onto the grass, and Armin watched with horror and revulsion as the Titans stepped on them, their blood sticking under their giant feet.**

 **Armin looked forward. How many? How many more deaths? He should have known that this was what it would be like to join the Survey Corps. They went out into expeditions knowing that they might not come back. He felt sad for the families they left behind, and for once he was relieved that there was no one waiting for him back home. His family was here with him — Eren, Mikasa, his friends from the 104th.**

 **The walls loomed before them. He felt sick. Now that their expedition had been a failure, he was certain that the capitol would now be in charge of handling Eren. He shuddered to think of what they will do to him, and he hoped against hope that the commander would have something up his sleeve. Armin knew that it would take a lot more now to convince the Supreme Commander that the Survey Corps deserved to have Eren. They needed something else, something valuable to offer in exchange for Eren's life.** **The gates slowly opened before them. An image of the Female Titan taking off his hood came into Armin's mind, and he took in a deep breath. Annie...? No, the Female Titan, he corrected himself. Capturing her would be a huge deal not only for the Survey Corps, but also for humanity. She would be enough to ensure Eren's safety, wouldn't she?**

 **Armin felt disgusted with himself. Was he seriously considering selling her out? Estimating her value and measuring her worth; he was thinking of her as if she was just some mere product to be sold in the market. Armin closed his eyes.**

 **They entered Wall Rose to the sound of jeers and bathed breath. The masses threw insults at them, and although he had witnessed this a hundred times before, it felt worse being on the receiving end of their words. Having experienced the judgmental looks himself was enough to make his resolve crumble. The crowd had always been like that, though — welcoming and cheerful at first, then cruel and angry at the end.**

 **He saw tears spill down Eren's face, and he knew he had to do something.**

Armin walked along the corridors of HQ, his mind filled with all the information the commander and Hange gave him. He rubbed the side of his head, as if that would help him sort through the all the thoughts and ideas running through his brain. This feels like Annie's betrayal all over again, he thought.

He paused when he noticed all of the soldiers running towards the gates. He followed them and saw a crowd of people being restrained by the Survey Corps, their faces angry and horrified. The mob continued to push through the gates, and the soldiers took out their blades, warning them to fall back. Armin saw Annie standing behind the Scouts with her head down. Jean, Eren, and the others stood on her side, but they couldn't do anything but scream at the citizens to stop.

"Fools!" shouted a man from the crowd. "You should be pointing those weapons at her, not us!"

"Yes!" agreed a woman wearing a necklace that said she was part of the wall cultists. "The Female Titan has desecrated the walls and killed a thousand people! What was Commander Erwin thinking?"

"Death to traitors and murderers!" someone yelled. "Death to Titans!"

A pomegranate flew across the air and hit Annie in the shoulder. The people, seeing what their fellow citizen had done, started throwing anything they could at Annie, and some that missed her hit Armin's friends and the Scouts instead. Armin raced down the hall and went to their aid. Annie's clothes were stained from everything that was thrown at her, and she looked up when she saw Armin.

"Armin!" said Eren.

"Don't waste food!" Sasha scolded the people. "Stop it!"

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Citizens of Wall Sina being their usual selves," said Jean through gritted teeth.

"Annie," said Armin, "are you okay?"

He took his Survey Corps jacket off and put it over her head. He angled his body so that he was covering her, but Annie put a hand to his arm to stop him. Armin gave her an inquiring look, but all she did was shook her head in reply. The mob was getting restless. Armin noticed some of the Military Police standing by, but they did not move in to help. He glared at them, but his attention was caught by a vaguely familiar voice shouting from the crowd.

"That's him!" Pastor Nick pushed through the people in order to go in front. He pointed an accusing finger at Armin. "That's the boy who stood up for her in the trial! This is all his fault!"

"What —" said Armin, but the people had started throwing things at him as well. He raised his arms up to protect his face, but the projectiles kept coming.

"Damn it," said Mikasa under her breath. She stepped forward and raised her blade. "Anyone who's brave enough to go here and pick a fight against a Titan shifter should have the guts to step forward and face us. Now."

"There's no need for violence," an authoritative voice said. They all turned to see Commander Erwin walking down the steps of the building's entrance, wearing his Survey Corps uniform. His eyes studied the scene before him, and he nodded towards Armin and his group. "Armin, take her away from here. The rest of you, leave. We'll handle this."

"Yes, sir!" they saluted.

Armin lead Annie away from the chaos. They could still hear the sounds of screaming and protest outside, but it gradually faded as they entered the building. He walked her through the halls in silence, his jacket still draped over her head, and she turned to him when she noticed that they weren't heading towards her living quarters.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"To my room," he said simply.

Annie looked incredulous. "What are you —"

"I'll explain later," he said.

She did not reply. She let him guide her through the HQ's many twists and turns, until finally they stopped before a plain, wooden door at the end of an empty corridor. He unlocked the door and opened in, stepping aside to let Annie go in first. She gave him a cautious look before stepping inside.

Armin's room was messy, that much anyone could tell. There were papers everywhere; there were crumpled pieces filling the trash bin at the corner, piles of documents waiting to be studied that were left on the desk, and sketch plans pinned to the walls. He felt slightly embarrassed. He started picking up some papers that had fallen on the floor and placed them on his already full drawer. His bed had been pushed to the right side of the room, opposite his closet and cluttered desk. Two book cases stood at the far end of the wall, next to a board taped with sketches of his friends and parents.

"Maybe this was a bad idea, after all," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I hadn't clean for ages."

"Obviously," said Annie stoically. "I'd have thought that you were more —"

"Organized?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well, yeah."

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You should have left before they started harassing you."

Annie let his jacket fall to the floor. "I didn't want to go. I wanted to stand there until they ran out of things to throw and insults to shout. I-I wanted..." she trailed off. Her hands trembled a little. "I wanted to take all of it — my punishment for everything I did. I wanted to take everything I could."

"Annie," he said sadly.

"Mikasa was right," she continued. Her tone remained emotionless. "I deserved everything after what I did, and I thought that if I took all their anger, I would be one step closer to redemption."

Armin did not know what to say. She had cooperated with them willingly, had pledged to help humanity achieve victory. She was closer to redemption than she thought. But Armin did not tell that to her. If taking all the blame was her way of coping with her guilt, then he would not stop her.

Annie walked over to the sketches he kept pinned to his wall. She traced her finger over a picture of him with Mikasa and Eren, her eyes wandering over the smudges the pencil had left on the paper. She blinked when she noticed the sketch next to it. Her own face stared back at her, and it took her a moment to realize that in the drawing of her she was smiling. Annie studied it as if she did not know who it was, and Armin felt uncomfortable.

"Jean gave it to me," he said after a long stretch of silence. Annie kept her eyes on the drawing. "He's really good at sketching people, so I kind of asked him to make a picture of you."

"When?" she said softly.

"Before the 57th expedition," he said. "He was only able to finish it after what happened to Stohess, though..."

Her hand fell to her side. "I see." she exhaled. "What is it you want to talk about?"

Armin almost forgot. He cleared his throat, and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"About what?" she asked.

"The commander told me everything," he said. "About Reiner and Bertholdt, and your original plan to escape —"

Annie looked surprised. She shook her head slightly and turned to the side, her face cloudy. Armin was confused. Didn't she think that the commander would tell him? She should have known that he would find out; after all, he was one of the people who devised the Survey Corps's plans, so of course the commander would give him every crucial information. Armin bowed his head and willed himself to continue.

"So the commander already made his move, huh," she whispered to herself.

"I'm just glad you changed your mind and is now cooperating with us," said Armin, ignoring the way Annie's brows furrowed in confusion. "But Annie, why didn't you tell me? Or Eren? They would have forgiven you much easily if you showed them how much help you're giving us."

She sighed and faced him. Her face was blank, and Armin wondered whether confronting her like this was a good idea. Still, the commander had asked him to talk to Annie himself, and he knew now was a better chance than any.

"Armin," she said in a low voice. "Do you brag about every good thing you ever do?"

"No," he said. He smiled slightly. "I guess you have a point."

She nodded. "Is that everything you have to say?"

"It's true, then? The things about Reiner and Bertholdt? That they're the Armored and the Colossal?"

"Yes," she replied. Annie turned towards the sketches again. "Armin, do you hate them?"

Armin walked over to his bed and sat there. He looked at his palms as the memories came rushing through him, images of the Colossal Titan kicking the gates of Wall Maria, the boat full of refugees ready to be evacuated, and Eren and Mikasa's haunted faces after they had witnessed their mother get eaten. He closes his eyes. It was strange; he hated the Titans, but not their human counterparts. The time he spent with both of them during training — somehow, he knew that they weren't lies. But some dark part of him still craved for their downfall.

"I do," he said, and he knew it was true. "I hate them."

"The way you hated me?" asked Annie, as she walked over to him.

"Yes," he breathed. "I'm sorry, Annie. I thought I've let go of my hatred years ago. I guess Eren and I are alike in some ways, after all."

"No," she said, and his bed dipped under her weight. Armin turned to his side to look at her. "I'd be more surprised if you went around forgiving people all the time."

Armin still felt conflicted, though. Annie, he knew, was betraying Reiner and Bertholdt, and somehow he can't help but laugh at the situation. Everything was just a cycle of betrayals and deception, wasn't it? He betrayed her, she betrayed them — over and over, mankind and Titans struggled to one up one another. But then again, he had known it all along, didn't he? _In order to overcome monsters, you must be willing to abandon your own humanity._

He chuckled and said sardonically, "The 104th are an interesting bunch, don't you think? Who knows, maybe we're all Titan shifters in disguise."

"Armin," said Annie. He jumped a little when he felt her hand touch his arm. "You can choose not to forgive them, but you can always forget them, to relieve the pain."

"Do you hate me?" he asked.

She sighed. "Yes. I did."

"I see. I'd be surprised if you went around forgiving people all the time."

They stared at each other, and before he knew it, she was leaning towards him. He was now only aware of how close they were; he could practically feel her breathe against his cheek. He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up, and their lips met just as the door opened and Connie rushed in, panting.

"Armin! I was looking everywhere for you. Annie wasn't in her room, and —" he said quickly. He stopped when he noticed how close their faces were, and how they were both practically sitting on Armin's bed. His eyes drifted over Armin's jacket, which Annie had discarded and left on the floor earlier. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Nothing," said Annie flatly. She stood up and crossed her arms.

"What is it, Connie?" asked Armin.

Connie looked like he was inches away from an outburst. "Hange's looking for you. And, well, you know how she is. If she can't find something, she orders everyone to search for her. Also, we were worried something happened to the two of you."

"Everything's fine," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll go and see her now."

Armin stood and picked up his jacket. He went past Connie, who gave him a sly grin. Annie followed him out, but not before she told Connie in a scary tone: "Not one word to the others."

"Are you kidding me?" he said. "Mikasa would go on a rampage if she finds out."

"Exactly," said Annie. "And I will also make you blind. Permanently."

"O-okay," he said.

Armin smiled at the look on his face. The three of them went to Hange's office, and Armin thought of what they were about to do. They were going to capture the Armored and the Colo — no, Reiner and Bertholdt — mankind's greatest enemies, and with both Eren and Annie on their side, he had high hopes for the future.


	23. Chapter Twenty-One

AN: I'm back! Hell yeah! Anyway, this is the last chapter for Part III of Temporary Bliss, which means that we would be entering the fourth and FINAL part of this story in the next update. I am all sorts of excited right now — I am literally squealing with joy while uploading this. Also, gods, I have been anxious to write _this_ ever since I started this fic. I hope _it_ turns out fine and not super cringe-worthy. I'd kill myself if it is.

Anyway, it's raining like hell here in my country, so I spent my day lying in bed, surrounded by my stuffed toys and listening to Lana del Rey. It was awesome.

Anyway, listen to "Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars at the latter part of this chapter. You'll know it when you read it. Hahaha.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Twenty-One

Annie walked briskly towards Commander Erwin's office, her footsteps heavy and her strides purposeful. She had just finished training with Eren in her Titan form, and she was exhausted. Although he had gotten stronger over the years, Eren was still no match for her when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Annie would have felt a sense of satisfaction over beating him if she hadn't been too preoccupied with her thoughts.

She had not changed from her uniform, and her ODM gear (which the Survey Corps had allowed her to have) was still strapped around her waist, with the cannisters holding the blades bumping against her thighs. She did not bother going back to her room an taking a bath — she went straight to the Commander right after training, and now her shirt clung to her body, making her feel sticky. She wondered what the citizens would think if they saw her: a Survey Corps jacket on, no handcuffs binding her arms, and a fully equipped maneuver gear attached to her body. With the way they had acted yesterday, they would probably raid HQ and kill her in her sleep if they had the chance.

Annie sighed when she recalled the incident yesterday, and she felt another pang of guilt when she thought about all their insulting words and accusations. Their words echoed in her ears, filling her head with images of blood and death, everything that reminded her of The Forest of Giant Trees and Stohess. However, under all that guilt was a sense of anger — anger for the humiliation she had to endure, for the way the citizens and other soldiers treated her, and to him.

She still did not know what the Commander was up to, but today she was going to find out. She hadn't been able to sleep last night after her conversation with Armin, when he had talked to her about everything the Commander had apparently told him — Annie's initial plan to escape, her sudden change of heart, and her cooperation with the Survey Corps. Why the Commander would tell him something like that, she did not know, but Annie was not about to bow down and play along with whatever it was that he was planning.

She reached his door. Annie clenched her fists to calm herself. She tried to think of something that would make her momentarily forget about her anger, and what came to mind was the memory of Sasha picking up the food the citizens had thrown at Annie, eating some that were not spoiled or damaged, much to their friends' amazement and disgust.

"That's gross," Jean had said, when Sasha took a bite out of an apple she found on the ground.

"Why?" asked Sasha as juice ran down the side of her mouth. "It's not like its got worms or anything."

"You could have at least washed it first!" said Connie.

The girl laughed. "Nah, it's fine. You worry too much."

Armin scratched the back of his head. "I think you should really be careful, Sasha. You might get sick, or —"

"This is Sina. They have the best food."

"She really is stupid," said Ymir, awed.

The others laughed as Sasha tried to force Connie into eating a loaf of bread she had picked up, and Annie cracked a small smile. Even though Mikasa and the other were still looking at Annie with obvious distrust, they could not take away these small moments of joy from her. It was during those times, Annie supposed, that she believed that she really was a part of them.

She raised her fist to knock, but before she could do so, the door opened to reveal Hange, who looked like she was in a hurry.

"Annie!" she said with relief. She smiled at her. "Good. I was just about to fetch you — now I'm spared the eventual work!"

"What's happening?" asked Annie.

"Leonhardt, take a seat."

Hange stepped aside to reveal almost all of her friends in the Commander's office, sitting around a long table. There was Mikasa, Eren, Jean, Connie and Armin, along with Captain Levi and Squad Leader Miche. Her former classmates all looked confused, but Humanity's Strongest remained calm and collected. He turned his head when Annie came in, but he did not say a word. At the head of the table was Commander Erwin, who nodded when he saw her.

"Take a seat," he repeated. "We were waiting for you."

 _Were you?_ Annie wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth shut and simply sat next to Armin.

Commander Erwin addressed them: "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."

"Yes," answered Jean. "Did something happen?"

"No. At least, not yet," said the Commander. "We believe that we may have identified the other Titan shifters hiding inside the walls," he continued, much to the astonishment of almost everyone in the room. "In fact, we have every reason to believe that they are the Colossal and Armored Titans who broke through Wall Maria five years ago."

"What?" said Jean, incredulous. "Excuse me, sir, but did you just say Armored and Colossal?"

Commander Erwin nodded. "Yes. Those two are Titan shifters just like Eren and Leonhardt, and we know who they are."

"Who are they?" said Mikasa, her voice low.

"They're your former classmates from the 104th," answered Hange. "And now current members of the Survey Corps. Their names are Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover."

Connie laughed loudly. "You're kidding, right?"

Hange shook her head. "It's true. These two are Titan shifters."

"We plan to capture them on our next expedition," added Commander Erwin. "Based on what we know, they plan to escape on that day."

"Wait a minute," said Jean. He rubbed his temples. "Are we really going to do this? How certain are you that they are who you think they are?"

"We reviewed their files," replied Hange, as she held up Reiner and Bertholdt's data for all of them to see. "The information they gave us was suspicious, but not only because they seemed to have no relatives or friends left in the walls, but also because it looked like they came from nowhere. We can't find any information relating to them in the years before the fall."

"I see," said Eren slowly. "But that still doesn't prove anything. There could be a number of reasons for why they didn't have any documents — it could have been lost, buried in the rubble in Wall Maria, left in their homes, etc. There are a lot of possibilities."

"That's true," agreed Commander Erwin.

"Give us more evidence, then," said Eren through gritted teeth. "We can't just accuse people of being Titan shifters. We need proof. I need proof."

"This is not about you, brat," said Levi sharply. "Remember the last time you refused to believe us? It stopped you from transforming during the time we needed you the most, and so many soldiers died and the city sustained se heavy damage."

"It wasn't Eren's fault," said Mikasa defensively. "If anyone's to blame, it's Annie. She was the one who started it all. She tried to capture Eren, murdered Survey Corps soldiers, and destroyed Stohess."

Annie bowed her head. She was used to Mikasa's accusing looks, but it still didn't stop her from getting annoyed every time she reminded Annie of her betrayal. She knew that Mikasa would never forgive her for trying to take Eren away, but she had hoped that she would stop from blaming her with everything. Still, Annie remained silent. She knew that trying to defend herself would be pointless; forgiveness was a long process, and she did not want to force her friends into accepting her back if they weren't ready yet.

"What the Commander's saying is true," said Armin loudly, drowning out Mikasa's ranting. "During the 57th expedition, Reiner was asking me where I thought Eren was, and when I told him he passed on the message to Annie by writing it on her palm."

"Armin, what are you saying?" said Eren, turning to his best friend. "Those are our friends we're talking about. How could you say that?"

"I'm sorry, Eren," he said. Armin looked him straight in the eye. "But it's true. I know it's hard to accept, but maybe Reiner and Bertholdt aren't who we thought they were."

"I know you won't believe us that easily," said Commander Erwin. "But we have more proof of Reiner and Bertholdt's real identities."

"And what is that?" asked Connie.

Commander Erwin gestured to Annie. "She can tell you. Annie has been giving us useful information these past few months. She's been working with us, feeding us reports regarding Reiner and Bertholdt."

"You are?" Jean asked her with just a touch of skepticism in his voice.

So this was the Commander's plan: to have everyone thinking that she was doing important work for the Survey Corps, so that they would learn to trust her. She felt cornered. If she confirmed Reiner and Bertholdt's identity now, then that meant that she would be betraying them, but if she played along and still escaped with them, then she would be betraying Eren and the others. They would not forgive her the second time, she was sure. Besides, even if she chose the latter, she had no doubt Captain Levi would kill her before she could even run away.

Commander Erwin had put her in a tight spot. _That bastard._ He knew that she would have no choice but to cooperate with them now. She glared at him, but he was unperturbed.

"Yes," she heard herself say. "Everything they said is true. Reiner and Bertholdt are the Armored and Colossal Titans."

Connie looked stunned. "What...? How...?"

"The three of us came here together five years ago," she explained. "Bertholdt put a hole in the wall, and Reiner destroyed the gates." Annie felt like she wasn't in control of her body when she said, "They are planning to escape from here. They know that it won't be long before the Survey Corps find out about their true identifies. They even asked me to come along with them when they first visited me in my cell months ago. We were supposed to leave at the day of the expedition."

Everyone was quiet. Annie felt Armin's eyes on her, but she kept staring at her lap. Why was she talking? This was a plan to capture Reiner and Bertholdt, and right now, she was playing a huge part in it. She was selling out her comrades, leaving them behind — she was, once again, betraying the people who had trusted her. There was no turning back now; wherever Annie went, she was a traitor.

"How do we know that what she's saying isn't just some story she made up?" asked Mikasa, breaking the silence.

"She's not making it up," said Armin. "What would she gain by lying? You do know that if she falsely accused Reiner and Bertholdt, her life would be the price."

"I don't think that's saying much," said the black-haired girl coldly.

"Mikasa," said Armin, exasperated. "This is not about her. It's about the two who were probably responsible for what happened five years ago. To what happened to Mrs. Jaeger."

Mikasa opened her mouth to respond, but she found herself at a loss for words. Eren's eyes went wide. He hit the table with his fist, making their teacups rattle, as memories of his dead mother flooded his mind.

"The expedition would be happening a day from now," said Commander Erwin. "We already have everything planned out, but I'm going to be needing your help if we want to pull this off."

Eren took a deep breath and said in a dangerously voice, "What are we suppose to do?"

When the meeting was finally over and everyone had left, Annie asked the Commander if he had any time to spare. He nodded and asked her to retake her seat, but she remained standing. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed her angry posture, but he simply turned away from her and looked out the window.

"What do you want to talk about?" asked Commander Erwin.

"Why did you do it?" she said sharply.

"Do what?"

"You know what I mean. I was surprised when Armin told me that he knew about Reiner and Bertholdt, but I was more surprised of the fact that he seemed to be under the delusion that I'm working for you."

"Aren't you?"

"You know I'm not. So why lie to him and tell him that I really have changed?"

"You know why," said the Commander calmly. "It's because it was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.

"Annie, don't tell me you didn't notice my men following you around," he stated. "You knew that they were going to follow you to your secret meetings with Reiner and Bertholdt, and that they would find out about your escape plan, and yet you didn't do anything about it — on the contrary, it almost seemed like you wanted us to know."

"You're crazy," she said, but she felt her hands starting to shake. "Why would I want that?"

The Commander shrugged. "You don't want to make it look like you're betraying them. It would hurt if they find out that it was you who ratted them out, but if they thought that it was the Survey Corps, then they would have no reason to hate you."

"Don't act as if you know me," said Annie sharply. "You don't know what's going on inside my mind."

"Perhaps," he said. "But I know you well enough to know that you're tired of all the anger and hate. Tell me, Annie, were you really going to escape and leave Armin to die?"

"I was prepared to face the consequences of my actions, and that includes leaving him behind."

"Leaving him behind is different from condemning him to death."

Annie felt like he had stabbed her. It was true; even to this day, she had not decided whether or not she would be escaping with Reiner and Bertholdt. There were times when she thought that she was ready to leave, times when she remembered her father and her people — they all seemed so far away now, just fragment of her past life. Sometimes she found herself straining her memories just to remember their faces.

But there were also times when she wished to stay: when Christa offered her a kind smile, or when Hange talked to her nonstop about her experiments, or when Armin held her hand when he thought no one was looking. She had made so many memories inside these walls that somehow they had buried her old ones.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I —"

"You don't want to go," said Commander Erwin. His eyes met hers. "You want to stay here, so you used the people spying on you to your advantage. You let them listen in to your meetings, so that when Bertholdt and Reiner gets captured, you won't be blamed."

"No..." she croaked. Why was her vision starting to blur? "That's not it... I..."

"You're distancing yourself from your crime," said Commander Erwin, his voice clear and steady. "That's not what a good person does, Annie."

What was a good person, anyway? Was it someone like Eren, who fought for humanity? Was it someone like Mikasa, who protected her friends from danger? Or was it someone like Christa, who helped everyone around her without expecting anything in return? Armin had once told her that she was a good person, and she had foolishly believed him.

Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, but to whom it was directed, she had no idea.

"I already helped you," said Commands Erwin. "Now's your chance to actually change. I know you can do it, and you want to do it," his look softened. "It's going to be fine."

Annie did not reply. The tears were falling fast now, and she whirled around and walked out of his office. She ignored the people giving her strange looks, but instead concentrated on wiping away the tears that was flowing down her face. She rubbed her eyes furiously, but no mater what she did, she wouldn't stop crying

The Commander's words hit home. Everything he said was true. Annie did know that she was being followed, and she did led them to where she met up with Reiner and Bertholdt. He was right: she was just distancing herself away from her crime. She did not want to think that she was betraying them, so she tried to fool herself by ignoring what was going on around her.

She reached her room, and she was surprised when she saw Armin there with a bunch of papers in his hand. He smiled when he saw her, but it quickly disappeared when he noticed the few tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"What happened?" he asked as he approached her.

She shook her head. How was she going to explain everything? Annie wiped the last of her tears away instead and stood straight. Armin looked at her with concern, and he hesitantly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She could feel the warmth of his palm against her cheek, and she felt like it was the best thing in the world. Maybe he was what a good person was — gentle, kind, understanding and forgiving. Maybe he was what she wasn't, and that was what made him so compelling.

Without thinking about it, she had already wrapped her arms around his neck, and her lips was pressed to his. She clung to him tightly, afraid that if he left she would start crying again, but all he did was place his hands on her waist and pull her closer. The papers fell from his grasp.

Annie didn't know how it happened, but the next thing she knew, she had shut the door behind her and they were embracing and kissing and breathing, and Annie felt like they were dancing — their movements were fast, dizzying, and exhilarating all at the same time. Her head was spinning, her heart was beating wildly, and she knew that with every article of clothing they shed, she was getting deeper and deeper into the Commander's scheme, but all she could think about was _I don't care; I don't care; I don't care._

Their jackets were abandoned on the floor, his shirt unbuttoned halfway, her hair out of its bun. She had her arms around his neck, and he unhooked the leather straps around her waist, her ODM gear falling on the floor with a loud thud. They kicked their boots off as they went, and Annie felt the cold wind coming through the window touch her bare skin after she had pulled her shirt over her head. They did not bother to light a lamp when the darkness started to creep in, and in the fading sunlight they studied each other.

A shade of pink dusted his cheeks, and Annie supposed that it reflected on her own face. He was biting his lip, unsure, as he carefully traced his finger along her temple, her jawline, her lips, her chin. He placed his hand on her cheek, and she covered it with hers. Annie felt nervous, and it seemed like he was, too. Armin touched his forehead to hers, laughing softly. His blue eyes were asking her if it was okay, and she nodded as she closed the distance between them.

Perhaps it was because he was touching her so gently, or that his voice was clouding her mind and making it impossible to form any coherent thoughts, but she found herself unable to resist him. Annie's eyes were closed, but she didn't need to see him to know that Armin's hand was skimming her hair, or that the sheets were getting tangled around their legs. He was everything she thought he would be: sweet, soft, intoxicating. Her hands skimmed down his neck, placing themselves on his shoulders to keep him steady, and all she could think about was how good it was to have his body so close to hers. Her mind screamed at her to stop, but his hands told her it was alright, everything would be fine, tomorrow could wait.

And Annie believed him. Oh, how she believed him.

They collided over and over again, and Annie pretended that the whole world was that room. There was no past and future — there was only this moment, this space, this atmosphere. She was drowning, and she was taking him along with her, and maybe that was a good thing. For now she could act as if nothing else mattered; and he made it easy for her to do so.

After, when they lay in bed, his arms around her waist and his head buried in her hair, Armin said, "I wish we could see the stars tonight."

Annie did not reply. He adjusted his position so he was facing the ceiling, and he reached his hand out, tracing circles in the empty air before him with his finger.

"What are you doing?" said Annie.

"I'm drawing the constellations," he said. "See? I just came up with the Ursa Major."

Annie snorted. "You're hopeless. Are you sure you didn't hit your head in training today?"

"I'm sure," he said. Armin sighed contentedly. "Hey, Annie."

"Hmm?"

"I love you." he said softly, and she was taken aback by his bluntness.

"What? There's no _'ed'_ at the end?" she had meant for it to sound sarcastic, but her voice quivered.

He shook his head. "Nope. No _'ed'_ ".

Annie did not know what to say, so all she said was, "I already know that."

"I just wanted to remind you," he said. He waved his hand in the air again. "And I just finished creating the Andromeda."

Annie smiled sadly at him. _He hadn't changed at all,_ Annie thought. She looked at his face, and she realized that she didn't necessarily hate his new look; whether he remained the scrawny boy she met all those years ago or became the soldier that he was now, Annie would still love him. She could admit that to herself now. Lying here with him in the dark, with her head pressed to his chest and listening to his heartbeat, she could finally be honest. She loved him — there was no other way of saying it.

"Armin," she said quietly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Someday, when everything is done and we could all live in peace, there's something that I'd like to tell you," she said.

He nodded, and she swore that he knew what it was she wanted to say. "I'll wait for it."

They stayed like that, resting next to each other, their shoulders brushing and their breathing steady. She reached for his hand, and he smiled at her before squeezing her palm against his.

 _I love you,_ she thought. Someday, she'd tell him that.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two

AN: After a million years, I am finally back! I am so, so sorry for the late update; life happens and all that shit. My academic life is pretty hectic at the moment, and my friends and I are going through a rough patch, so yeah. Life is killing me. Anyway, this is the beginning of the fourth and final part of Temporary Bliss! So, without further ado, here's Chapter Twenty-Two!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Someone was outside the door, knocking and calling for her to open up. Annie groaned as she rolled over in bed, trying to ignore the sound, but a hand gently shook her shoulder, as insistent as the knocks that were reverberating around her room. She waved it off, and instead of standing up, she buried her head in a pillow and continued to sleep. She needed more rest; who would get up in such an ungodly hour? Annie felt someone tapping her on the cheek, trying to wake her.

She heard someone laugh. "Alright. If you don't answer it, I'll have to, and then you'd have to explain why I was in your room at the early hours of the morning, and why our clothes and my papers are a mess at the floor."

Annie sighed. Right. She almost forgot about him being here. Memories of last night went through her mind, making her blush against the pillow, and she was thankful that Armin couldn't see her red face. Annie laughed quietly and turned her face to the side so she could see him.

Armin was sitting at the edge of the bed, his back to her, pulling on some clothes. She watched as he carefully folded the sleeves of his shirt, making sure they were rolled up to his elbows, and Annie slowly sat up and moved closer to him. She tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder, her face covered by her messy hair. Armin stopped what he was doing and turned to her, smiling, but he didn't say anything.

The knocking on the door became louder and more insistent. Armin studied it, as if the sound was foreign to him. He placed his hand on Annie's arm and said, "If you don't answer it, they'll just bust in here, you know."

"I know," she said, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

He laughed. "And you're okay with that?"

"Uh-huh," she said lazily, her mind already drifting off to sleep. She _never_ was a morning person.

"You know you're not wearing anything, right?" he asked in an amused tone.

She huffed. "Of course."

Armin laughed just as they heard someone outside say, "Alright, that's it!" followed by the sound of struggling as they fought over who would kick the door down. Armin shook his head and started pulling his pants on. Annie still paid them no mind, but instead pressed her cheek on his shoulder, her eyes closed. The sounds outside gradually became louder, until Annie, much to Armin's surprise, shouted: "The door's unlocked, idiots!"

Annie did not know what was wrong with her. She felt unusually calm today, as if there was nothing going on around her and she wasn't about to go on an expedition outside the walls in a month's time. Perhaps it was because she had finally come to terms with her heart, or that resting against Armin's body had given her warmth, but either way she felt content. She did not even flinch when Connie, Jean, and Sasha suddenly burst into the room, yelling and arguing, but they suddenly stopped when they saw them. She almost laughed at the situation: The three of them stared as Armin quietly slipped on his boots and Annie remained resting on his shoulder, still half-asleep and barely covered by the sheet around her body.

Connie, Jean, and Sasha exchanged glances, with the latter squirming on her spot, and Annie gave them a flat look. She blew a strand of hair away from her face, noticing the way Connie and Jean's eyes roamed around the room. If this had happened three years ago, she would have flipped them over and told them to back off, to forget what they saw and never speak of it again, but today she felt different. The looks on their faces were almost entertaining.

"Good morning," Armin greeted them.

"Uh — good morning, I guess," said Jean uncertainly. He blushed when he saw Annie's exposed shoulder blades.

"Armin's here," said Connie stupidly.

"Yes, Connie, I am," said Armin, as he held his hair back from his face. He groped around the bed for a hair tie. "Where did I put it?"

Annie disentangled herself from him and started walking around the room, picking up her clothes as she went. She held the bedsheet tightly around her chest, the fabric trailing on the floor. She ignored Connie and Jean's scandalized looks, and instead threw Armin's hair tie at him.

"Thanks," he said, as he pulled his blond locks into a ponytail.

"Well?" said Annie. She faced her friends, waving a jacket to their faces to get their attention.

The three finally recovered from their initial shock. Sasha cleared her throat and said: "Oh! Um — breakfast is ready. We noticed that you weren't at the mess hall, so we thought we'd come and fetch you. And Hange said that Armin didn't show up in her office this morning, so Mikasa and Eren went to get him, but... well..."

Armin slapped a hand to his forehead. "Right. I forgot."

"I can see how you forgot," said Connie slyly. He gestured at Annie, who was already making her way to the bathroom, fresh clothes in hand.

"Connie," she called out. "My threat still stands."

Connie gulped.

"Threat?" asked Jean, confused.

Armin smiled at him and stood up. He went on to arrange the files he had while waiting for Annie to finish. He could feel his friends staring at him, and for once he was in no mood to explain. He simply went on with his task, humming quietly as he placed the papers in a folder.

"So," said Connie, as he hung an arm around his shoulder. "How was it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Armin.

"You know exactly what I mean," he replied. He wiped an imaginary tear on his eye. "My little Armin, all grown up."

"Yeah," said Jean. "Who knew you had the guts?"

Armin blushed. "That's not how it is —"

"Come on," said Jean. He gave Armin a gentle nudge. "We don't want the full details. Just —"

"Just what?" said Annie. She had emerged from the bathroom and was now wearing her signature hoodie and Survey Corps jacket. She gave Connie and Jean a look, and both of them quivered. "Just what, exactly?"

"N-nothing!" said Connie quickly.

"I see," said Annie. She huffed and opened the door, waiting for them to get out. "And the three of you didn't see anything. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Sasha nervously, as the two boys nodded.

"Good," said Annie. "Let's go. Breakfast is waiting."

"Right!" said Sasha happily.

"I think I'll pass," said Armin. "I have to deliver these to Hange, and I really, really need a bath right now. I'll see you at training later."

He kissed Annie and left, and she had to give Connie another glare to wipe the grin off his face. The four of them made their way to the mess hall, and Annie almost smiled at the feeling of the sun hitting her face. She felt... _normal_. Her head was clear, and for once she didn't feel like her heart was being squeezed, making it hard to breath. Annie pulled her jacket closer to her body, and she felt like the insignia on her chest — the Wings of Liberty — was something she could be truly proud of.

Today was a new beginning. Today she would work as a full pledged Survey Corps soldier. It hurt to let go of her father and her people, but maybe, just maybe, she made the right choice. Her father had loved her, but maybe not for the right reasons. Annie wanted to see him and apologize, but she knew that that was impossible, and that there was no turning back now that she had willingly followed the Commander's plan. She just had to make sure that her decision was worth it.

As Sasha, Connie, and Jean took their food, Annie stood at the far end of the mess hall, searching for any familiar faces. The Survey Corps ate in groups, talking and laughing, and Annie noticed some of them giving her strange looks. This was the first time she had tried to eat at the mess hall, and she didn't know what to do. She held her tray in hand, at a lost, until a shrill voice shouted, "Annie, come sit with us!"

She found Christa waving at her from the center of the room. The small blonde smiled at her as she approached, and Annie can't help but to return it. She made her way over to their table, ignoring the soldiers' curious glances and soft whispers.

She plopped down on the bench next to Christa, and saw that on the table with her were Mikasa, Eren, Ymir, Reiner, and Bertholdt. Annie was amazed at how calm the others were, considering the fact that they were practically sitting next to the people they believed to be the Armored and Colossal Titans. _Looks like they did learn some things in the military, after all_. She was surprised Eren wasn't beating the hell out of the two right now. Annie cleared her throat, ignoring Mikasa's suspicious looks, and started munching on her bread.

"Annie, I'm glad you came to eat with us today," said Christa.

"Connie and the others kind of forced me to," she replied. Trying to be nice, she added, "Thank you for letting me sit here."

"Of course."

"That's my Christa, always so sweet," said Ymir.

Christa simple beamed and said, "I want Annie to feel welcome here."

"Thank you," repeated Annie, and she meant it.

"Aww. They wouldn't let me have a second serving," complained Sasha, as she sat down next to Mikasa. Connie and Jean followed suit.

"Good morning," Christa told them.

Connie smiled at her and said, quite loudly, "So guess what?"

"What?" said Ymir.

"We learned something very interesting this morning," he answered vaguely.

 _You wouldn't_ , Annie thought.

"And what is that?" asked Reiner.

Annie gave Connie the best glare she could muster, and he wavered for a moment.

"Oh — uh, you see —" he stammered.

"Where's Armin?" said Mikasa.

"He went to give some papers to Hange," replied Sasha, her speech garbled by the food stuffed in her mouth.

"He wasn't in his room," said Eren absentmindedly. "We went to wake him, but he wasn't there. I guess he already went to Hange."

"He did," said Jean. "After we reminded him."

"After? So you saw him?" asked Mikasa forcefully.

"Of course," Sasha nodded as she took Connie's piece of bread. "He was in Annie's room, you know, and we told him Hange was looking for him."

Connie and Jean was now shaking their heads in unison. Their actions were noticed by everyone on the table, and Annie stopped herself from groaning with frustration.

"What was he doing there?" Mikasa prodded. She pushed her plate towards the brunette.

Sasha's eyes shone. "Well, it looked like he slept there. I mean, he was just pulling some clothes on when we got there —"

Annie could almost feel the temperature in the room drop. Mikasa's face darkened, and she gripped her fork tightly as she stared at Annie with those steely, black eyes. Eren gulped. Annie knew she ought to back down, to tell Sasha to stop, but some part of her wanted to see Mikasa getting all worked up. How nice to bring back the good old days.

Mikasa kept her eyes on Annie as she said, "What else?"

"Well," said Sasha nervously, looking at Connie and Jean for help. "He wasn't naked or anything — at least, only Annie was — at least he wasn't, right? — and Annie did dress once we got there —"

"Really?" said Ymir, sounding amused. "This is really interesting, guys."

"Ymir!" said Christa, and her face was tinged with pink. "This is a private matter!"

Annie smirked. "No, it's fine. Go on, Sasha. Don't keep your audience waiting."

Everyone gave her horrified looks. Mikasa grabbed Sasha's arm, urging her to go on. The poor girl looked like she was about to cry. Annie twirled the spoon on her hand, waiting.

"Let her go, Mikasa," Connie finally said.

"But —" said Mikasa.

"Mikasa, that's enough," said Eren. He put a hand to her shoulder, and she released Sasha's arm.

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Backing down so easily?"

"Annie," said Jean. "Stop it."

"I thought she was curious," she said. "You know, I'd gladly tell you every detail if you ask nicely. You might learn a thing or two from it."

Ymir laughed loudly. "That's a good one!"

"Why you —" said Mikasa.

"Maybe Armin and I could tell you," Annie mused. She reveled in the way Mikasa scowled. "It seems like he wasn't that innocent, after all."

"Annie, I'm sorry for bringing it up, okay? Just stop now," Connie pleaded.

"Actually, I'd like to hear it," said Reiner suddenly.

"Reiner!" said Christa hotly.

Annie gave him a cold stare. "Would you?"

He met her gaze. "I do, actually."

They stared at each other, and the others were too busy trying to calm Mikasa down to notice the silent exchange that was going on between them. Annie knew Reiner wanted to talk to her, and it also didn't slip her notice that Bertholdt was looking practically despondent. She now felt slightly guilty in teasing Mikasa; Annie knew that she should have kept her mouth shut. Who knew what was going on in Reiner's mind? She subtly turned her head to the door, signaling him to go out, and Reiner nodded.

Annie bowed her head. Reiner and Bertholdt stood up and left the hall, and the others stopped their talking long enough to look at them. Eren stared sharply at their retreating backs, but he quickly turned to Jean and engaged him in a conversation to avoid suspicion.

Mikasa met Annie's eyes across the table, and for once there was no hostility in there, only understanding. She nodded once to Annie, and the blonde got up to follow the two. She was slightly baffled with the way Mikasa suddenly treated her like a comrade, and she respected the girl's dedication to the plan, setting aside her personal grudges for the sake of their mission. Annie guessed that she knew that she was their only hope on obtaining any information from the enemy.

They were waiting for her at the edge of the forest near the training grounds. Annie put her hands inside the pocket of her hoodie, her face calm and collected. Reiner leaned by a tree, his arms crossed, while Bertholdt stood quietly behind him.

"What is it?" asked Annie once she reached them.

"What are you doing?" said Reiner in a hushed tone.

"What am I doing?" she said. "Reiner, I don't think I understand what you're saying."

"Are you really that foolish?" he replied sharply. "Armin betrayed you once already, did you forget that?"

"Of course I didn't," she said, and it was true.

"Then what the hell was all that about?" he asked. He balled his hands into fists. "Don't think I haven't noticed you spending time with him."

"So spending time with him is a crime now? I thought you wanted me to get inside information in the Survey Corps? Well, I did, so what are you so angry about?"

"Why are you always with him, then?"

"Why can't I? Armin's the only reason they let me live. He's the reason why they trust me. I'm grateful to him. He's the only person who's completely nice to me here."

Reiner studied her. "If I hadn't known better, I'd say that you're still in love with him."

Annie glared at him. "You don't have much faith in me, do you?"

Reiner gave her a level look. "What do you think?"

"And what about you, Bertholdt?" she said. "What can you say about all this?"

"Annie..." he said slowly, and he refused to look at her. "I don't think you should be going around giving yourself to others like that. Just because he's nice to you doesn't mean —"

She scowled. "Is that what you think of me now? Some frail girl who offers herself to the first person who smiles at her? Well, Bertholdt, that's quite a deduction considering how you had it for me in the past few years."

"That's not the point here, Annie," Reiner interjected. "You're losing sight of your mission. Again. How many times could you mess up before you finally learn? Now our mission would be compromised all because you couldn't stop yourself from giving into a boy —"

She slapped him. Annie's palm stung from the pain, but she ignored it and instead stared at Reiner, who was now glaring at her. She had hit him, hard, and his cheek was now red and throbbing. Bertholdt gasped and stepped forward, but Reiner stopped him by raising a hand.

"Screw you." Annie told him.

Annie's whole body was shaking with anger. She knew she shouldn't have let her emotions take hold of her, but she was done with Reiner's bullshit. He had pushed her to her limit, and Annie was tired of letting him control her life. She was free now — free of her mission, free of her past, free of them. She now felt an odd satisfaction, knowing that the Survey Corps would capture them soon enough, and that she was the one who had led them to their eventual demise.

"I'm sorry."

Annie looked up, confused.

"I'm sorry," Reiner repeated. He spat on the ground and touched his swollen cheek. "I shouldn't have said that."

Annie bit her lip. She had to calm down — she was still pretending to be their comrade, after all. She glanced at Bertholdt, who looked away the moment he met her eyes. She sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry, too," she said, feeling it on so many levels.

Reiner said, "The plan remains the same. We escape on the day of the expedition, and from there go on to secure Eren and hopefully make it to his basement in Shiganshina."

Annie's eyes went wide. They were going to Shiganshina? Reiner never told her that. She cleared her throat, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

"We're going to his basement?" she asked.

Reiner nodded. "They say his basement holds the secret to figuring out the Titans. We can't let that happen. We have to go there and destroy whatever's in there. And besides, going through Shiganshina would make our escape a lot easier. We're very familiar with the route there."

"I see," said Annie. She had to tell this to the Commander, quick.

"Anyway, I want both of you to prepare," he said. Reiner stared at his palm and said so quietly it almost seemed like he was talking to himself, "We're going home, no matter what."

They separated, and Annie went straight to the Commander's office to report this new development, but she stopped short when she felt a slight chill going up her spine. She turned around, but no one was there. Annie inhaled, trying to calm herself, as she decided to tell the Commander later. Annie headed towards the training grounds instead, where she found Eren training with Mikasa in hand-to-hand combat. Armin stood under the shade of a nearby tree, drinking, and Jean sat next to him, looking rather annoyed.

"Hey," said Armin, when he spotted her. He smiled at her.

She gestured to Jean. "What's up with him?"

"I beat him up," said Armin proudly.

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Three years really does wonders, huh?"

"You bet," said Jean haughtily. He gazed gloomily at Mikasa and Eren. Eren fell face-first on the ground after Mikasa swiftly kicked his knees. "Eren hasn't changed. Jeez, he's kind of an idiot, isn't he?"

"Jealousy isn't good, Jean," said Armin.

He tsked. "I hate it when you say wise things like that."

"It isn't wise or anything," said Annie. "It's just true."

"And now you're ganging up on me," said Jean.

Armin laughed as Jean stuck his tongue at him. Eren saw them and waved, but Mikasa just gave Annie a flat stare. It felt like they were back at training days, and Annie thought that maybe this is where she truly belonged.

Annie stayed at the training grounds until late afternoon. After she had taken a bath and changed, she walked towards the Commander's office, ready to report. She knocked on his door and heard his response: "Come in."

Commander Erwin was bent down on his desk, studying some files under the dim light of his lamp. He looked up when Annie entered, and he motioned for her to sit down.

"What brings you here?" he said.

Annie went straight to the point. "Reiner and Bertholdt plan to go to Shiganshina."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why?"

"To destroy the Jaeger's basement and all the evidence in there."

He put his hands on his desk, thinking. "I see. Then we have to get there first. After we capture them, hopefully."

Annie nodded. "With Eren and I —"

They heard a loud boom coming outside. The books on the Commander's shelves fell to the floor, and the lamp rattled as the ground momentarily shook. The Commander ran to the window and peered out, but it was too dark to see.

"What was that?" said Annie.

The door of the office suddenly burst open, and a soldier rushed in, panting.

"Titans!" he screamed. "The Colossal and Armored Titans have appeared!"

 _Huh?_ Annie thought. _No. Why now?_

She ran outside, not bothering to strap on her gear, and found soldiers running towards the gates. Stohess was once again in chaos. The streets were filled with screaming and fleeing citizens, and Annie had to push her way through the sea of bodies rushing past her. Huge chunks of rocks and debris were scattered on the pavement, and there were already dead bodies everywhere. She saw the Colossal Titan looming over the wall, while the Armored stood by the gates, spewing fire on the vicinity.

"Stop them!"

She spotted Hange swinging through the rooftops, blades in hand, followed by Jean, Armin, Connie, Sasha, and Mikasa, who already had their gears on. She watched as Eren ran near the wall, ready to transform, and Annie prepared to do the same. However, the Colossal Titan started to smoke and groan as it slowly toppled sideways; Annie pushed Eren away, sending both of them rolling onto the street and avoiding getting crushed by the Colossal Titan.

The skeleton burst into a thousand splinters, sending hot steam into every direction. The signs hanging on the shops squeaked loudly, and the trees bent down from the strong winds. Annie shielded her eyes.

 _Damn it_ , she thought. _They didn't give us time to transform_.

When the smoke had cleared out, the Armored Titan was already nowhere to be found, and all that was left of the Colossal Titan was a steaming carcass. Annie groaned as she picked herself up from the ground. She could hear Mikasa screaming from where she was, and she had to strain her ears to make out what she was saying.

"We have to follow them!" Mikasa shouted desperately.

"We can't, not now," replied Hange. She wiped some dirt off her face. "Beaten so easily. We didn't expect this."

Annie and Eren approached them. Mikasa spotted them, and she walked briskly towards Annie and grabbed her by the collar.

"Why didn't you tell us?" she said. "You said they'd escape on the expedition, not tonight!" she let go of her. "And now they got Armin..."

"What? What did you say?" said Annie, shocked. Mikasa stepped back and turned towards the gates. "Mikasa, answer me! What do you mean —"

"That took Armin," replied Jean, looking sullen.

"No..." said Annie. "No, that wasn't part of the plan... Reiner never said anything about that..."

"Looks like they deceived you," said Hange.

Annie turned to her. "We have to follow them. Do you hear me? We're going after them. I'll transform, and then —"

"No, you won't," said Commander Erwin. He joined them, along with Captain Levi.

"Why not?" said Eren angrily.

"Because that's exactly what they want you to do," he answered. "Arlert's the only person who both of you would try to retrieve. They're luring you into a trap, hoping you'd do something foolish such as going off on your own. What we need to do now is regroup and revise the plan. We were caught off-guard, and we cannot let that happen again."

Annie shook her head. "Make a plan? Who knows where they'll be by the time we regroup? We have to follow them now! Eren and I could fight them —"

"Leonhardt, I make the commands here."

She scoffed. "But we have to get him back —"

"We will," said Levi, and Annie was surprised that he had spoken to her. "Although not for your sake, Titan."

Commander Erwin turned to her. "We can't drain our resources for a single soldier. We continue with our original plan, although we will have to reschedule. We will take back Arlert and capture the Colossal and Armored Titans. Understood?"

They saluted, and Annie stared at the carnage around her, remembering the time she had done the same destruction all those years ago. _All those lives lost, and for what?_ Annie clenched her fists as the first drops of rain fell from the sky. She will kill them, she'll make sure of it.


	25. Author's Note

Hey guys! Obviously, this is not an update. Unfortunately, updates won't be coming for a while, due to some unforseen circumstances. Anyway, I'm just here to inform you that Temporary Bliss, as well as my other fanfic, Drama Club, would be going on a one month hiatus. Yep, one month.That is all the time I need to sort out my life. I'm pretty busy with school right now, so I won't be able to write and upload any chapters, and I didn't want you guys waiting for nothing.

I am so, so sorry for this. I promise to make up for it by maybe uploading two new chapters by the time I come back, and I hope you still continue to read this fic. Anyway, I am going to finish Aruani Week 2017, since it isn't too much of a hassle and it is only for a week, but yeah, my stories have to sit for a while. Again, I'm sorry. It's sad for me to do this, but I have to set my priorities straight, and as much as I love writing this fic, I don't want to fail in class. Hahaha. Anyway, I do promise to be back.

On a brighter note, I just want to thank all of you who has ever reviewed this fic. I forgot to mention it in the last chapter, but we have reached over a hundred reviews! Hell yeah! It might not seem that big of a deal, but I am so happy about it. So thank you, guys. I hope you keep the reviews coming, especially when I upload Chapter Twenty-Three.

That's it, I guess. See you after a month.

Peace out!

EverydayWeaboo


	26. Author's Note (01-20 07:07:43)

Hey guys. First of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in my updates. I know I said that I would only be gone for a month, but five months had already passed and I still haven't uploaded a new chapter.

There is a reason for this. I'm having some health issues, and school hasn't been going very well for me — which is a complete bummer because I am a _graduating student._ I have been suffering through some serious shit, and I haven't been really able to write. I tried many times. I tried to write a new chapter because I didn't wanna let you all down, but I just couldn't; not now, anyways.

Some of you have been bugging me for an update, and believe me, I will _continue_ this. Thank you for your continued support. I really appreciate it.

I really hope that I can give you an update right now, but alas, you have to wait. Again. I am very, very sorry.

Love lots,

EverydayWeaboo


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